The photos that sell best on Image Pasal aren’t always the most dramatic ones. Buyers are businesses, designers, NGOs, publishers and travel companies, and they need images that fit a specific purpose: a website banner, a report cover, a news story, a menu. If you shoot what buyers are looking for, and what other photographers aren’t uploading, your work gets found and licensed more often.
Here’s where the gaps are right now, and what to shoot to fill them.
Where Image Pasal Needs More Photos
Image Pasal already has thousands of culture, lifestyle, news and landscape photos. Some categories have far fewer, which means less competition for your uploads:
| Category | Photos listed (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Abstract | 28 |
| Black and White | 41 |
| Fashion | 56 |
| Aerial | 81 |
| Food | 84 |
| Night | 106 |
| Panoramic | 122 |
| Cityscape | 182 |
Compare that with more than 2,400 culture photos. A strong food or aerial photo has a much better chance of being seen.
1. Food and Markets
Restaurants, food blogs, tourism sites and FMCG brands all need Nepali food photos, and there are very few. Shoot momo, dal bhat, sel roti, yomari, chatamari, street food stalls and busy vegetable markets. Use soft window light, shoot from above or at 45 degrees, and keep the background clean.
2. Everyday Work and Business
NGOs, banks, development agencies and media need photos of real Nepali people at work: farmers, shopkeepers, teachers, health workers, office staff, construction workers and entrepreneurs. These are hard to find and widely used. Ask permission, and note it, so the photo can be sold for commercial use.
3. Agriculture and Rural Life
Rice planting in Asar, mustard fields in winter, tea gardens in Ilam, terraced hills and harvest season are in steady demand for reports, packaging and education.
4. Portraits With Character
Close, honest portraits sell well for editorial use: elders, sadhus, monks, children at school, people in traditional dress. Shoot at eye level, in soft light, with a simple background, and always ask first.
5. Aerial and Drone Views
Villages, rivers, cities and terraces from above make striking website headers and report covers, and there are fewer than 100 aerial photos on the site. Fly only where it is allowed and with the right permission.
6. Night, Abstract and Black and White
Designers love images with space for text: night skylines, light trails, textures of old brick and carved wood, prayer flag patterns and minimal black-and-white scenes. These categories are almost empty.
7. Festivals, Every Year
Festivals are always in demand, but buyers want fresh, current photos. Each year, shoot Dashain, Tihar, Chhath, Holi, Indra Jatra, Bisket Jatra, Lhosar and Yomari Punhi, and upload soon after so your photos are ready when buyers search.
Tips to Make Any Photo More Sellable
- Leave space for text. Buyers often add headlines, so include some clean sky, wall or background.
- Shoot both horizontal and vertical. Websites need wide images; social media and posters need tall ones.
- Keep it real. Natural colour and light edits sell better than heavy filters.
- Avoid logos and brand names in photos meant for commercial use.
- Write clear titles and keywords so buyers can find you.
Start Filling the Gaps
Look through your archive for food, work, farming, aerial and night shots you’ve never shared, and plan your next outings around them. Register as a photographer to start uploading, or read our guide on how to sell your photos online in Nepal.
