Asian landscapes in stock photography can present a whole lot of clichés, including tropical scenes and colours, murky waters and too much focus on rural landscapes. We don’t deny that these scenes are beautiful in their own right, but the fact is that Asia’s beauty has so much more diversity, and Asian stock photography is starting to show different perspectives from this part of the world. In our header image, the misty, rocky landscape looks reminiscent of Scotland – but was actually captured in South Sumatra!
Visual content marketers are constantly looking for fresh perspectives and to move away from stereotypes, so having more of these in the bag can increase your chances of selling your stock photography. For your inspiration, we’ve put together four of our favourite Asian landscape photos by our contributors.
4 Unconventional Asian Landscapes for Inspiration
#1 Snowy Mountains
Kashmir, India
Photographer: Glenn Marron
Glenn Marron/PIXERF
Yes, snowy mountains exist in Asia! And they are as pretty as any you’d find in the Swiss Alps. There isn’t anything distinctly Asian in this photo taken in Himachal Pradesh, but it’s a fine example of the less well-known treasures of Asia. We like the fact that this photo shows the expanse of this mountainous region with a vibrant blue sky.
#2 Starry Skies
East Java, Indonesia
Photographer: Athena Tan
Athena Tan/PIXERF
You don’t have to travel to Norway or Iceland for starry skies, because hey, we all live in the same galaxy. Here, some Javanese gather around a bonfire near Mount Bromo to keep warm under the stars. We love the fact that this photo seems like two different scenes mashed up into one — a reminder that the universe has big plans for us.
#3 Ombré Sunset Panorama
Myanmar
Photographer: Ron Ong
Ron Ong/PIXERF
This silhouette version of Bagan under an intense sunset is a fresh take on the ancient city’s charm. We like how the vibrant, amber-coloured ombré sunset continues downward into a deeper ombré of browns to create a brilliant panorama.
#4 Asian Elements Against a Cityscape
Hong Kong
Photographer: Brenden King
Brenden King/PIXERF
Urban cityscapes in Asia can be indistinct, but for great visual marketing content, it should have a hint of Asian charm. We like this one where a Chinese junk emerges from the darkness in the Hong Kong Harbour, contrasting the bright lights from the buildings behind.
