The Library of Fake ‘Travel Photos’ in Asia

Real Hacker StaffMay 7, 2025

9 23 minutes read

The Library of Fake ‘Travel Photos’ in Asia

The following article is a resource to help the world’s photography competition judges work out if the “travel” images they are judging are real or not! Yep, this is the first library of fake travel photos focusing on people photography in Asia. You’re welcome!

Update on 5/7/25: Thanks to the rise of AI, I can now create custom AI-generated images to illustrate the fake travel photos I talk about, without any copyright issues and (almost) without upsetting any photographers. It’s a win-win! Some of these images look like photos, some look very cartoonish. I had to do that not to violate all the obscure policies that ChatGPT implements.

What is a Fake Travel Photo?

Well, it’s an image that doesn’t fit the true definition of travel photography. Or, to be more precise, it doesn’t fit my definition of travel photography. Which is this:

A candid image capturing a moment in time. A real moment, in which the photographer (or anyone, for that matter) can witness while traveling. Something that actually occurs, whether it looks authentic or not.^*

^* The concept of authenticity would need a whole article in itself, so I won’t go there now.

What doesn’t fit into this/my definition of travel photography are any images that have been staged, organized, pre-planned, or ones that use models and/or props. This is what I call “conceptual travel photography”. But feel free to also call it “fashion photography in a place far from home”.

Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the editing and Photoshopping that can be done to create a fake image. Rather, I mean the use of real people to create fake images. We are also not talking about people staging their images for commercial or editorial purposes. We are not talking about fine art. We are talking about travel photography.

As my area of expertise is people photography in Asia, this is the area I want to focus on.

Conceptual vs Travel Photography

Yes, these images could be called “conceptual images” or images created with a concept in mind. I have nothing against that. What I have something against, though, is when photographers try to pass these images off as candid travel images.

If you read the descriptions of the images for most of these, the photographers seldom mention that it is staged. They will use elaborate phrasing, saying that their amazing travel skills have allowed them to find such scenes. These are lies. And this is the main problem I have with these photographers. If you stage an image, pay models to pose for you, don’t try to pretend that you are a skilled travel photographer who has been working hard to “discover” these incredible scenes.

Here is an example. A photographer (I opened Instagram and clicked on the first staged image that I saw, no offence Mr. Photographer!) staged their photos of the big fishing nets outside of Hoi An, Vietnam (listed in the library below). Here is what the description is:

The fisherman himself has been perfecting his art now for a number of years, and despite his age getting the better of him, he still goes out to his nets during the fishing season to see what Mother Nature has given him.

What actually happened is that someone called the fisherman the day before, and asked him to show up on location at a certain time. Probably also asking him to dress in red and then asking him to freeze in a certain position for the photographer to take their shots. It is very different from the description quoted above. I believe they would have mentioned it if it were claimed as a conceptual image. But the text tries to make us think that this is a candid scene.

Why Put Together This Library?

Well, the idea isn’t to spit on any specific photographers out there. Every photographer is entitled to do whatever they choose, whether they stage photos or not. This tool has simply been created to catalog all the images that are becoming, or already are, popular and known to be staged.

These are the images that you can find online over and over again… because a lot of photographers travel to these same specific locations and stage these same specific images. Once again, there’s nothing wrong with that. But to me, it is not travel photography.

Another purpose of this library is to silence photographers who claim their staged images are not staged. (Believe me, there are plenty of them!) They build a huge following on social media, stage their images, then claim that these images were taken in a candid moment.

Lastly, I offer this resource to help any photography competition judges out there who feel qualified to hand out prizes without knowing much about travel and Asia, which is a problem when judging a travel photography competition in which many of the images were taken in Asia. In my opinion, a photo that has been taken repeatedly by hundreds of photographers has nothing original to say and really should not win any competition.

But this is only my opinion. Others are free to disagree. And clearly, many do.

The McDonald’s of Travel Photography

I must admit, also, that for us “real travel photographers,” it is quite frustrating to see that so little work and effort can create beautiful images. A lot of photographers have built a career shooting the staged stuff, and believe me, they have a lot more followers than I do. Why? Because these images are easy to digest and have a big “wow” factor. I think of these images as the McDonald’s of travel photography. Suspiciously tasty but little nutrition. And just like McDonald’s fans, I’m sure these photographers know inside that what they’re doing is bad for them… but they do it anyway.

You can see, I’ve clearly thought a lot about this problem. This isn’t a post I’ve written quickly from self-isolation at home. Rather, I have been studying this particular topic for a couple of years now, and have gathered this library of staged travel photos over time.

First, A Disclaimer

I am listing images here that I know with almost certainty are staged scenes. Of course, it may so happen that somebody got a similar image without faking it, or took it in a different location. This is a possibility. A very, very, very small possibility. To those photographers, I apologise.

And of course, there is always someone who went there first and took a “real” image, before being copied by other lazier photographers. I congratulate the original photographers – imitation, they say, is the most sincere form of flattery.

I know the fallacy behind some of these images because I’ve witnessed the charade with my own eyes: groups of photographers being shipped into a location to take the exact same image of the exact same model.

However, for some of the examples below, I’ve simply used logic. Living and working in Asia for a long time, I’ve learned a bit about the norms and customs of the people here, and some of the images below just don’t make any logical sense in the Asia I know.

Note: All example images used in this article have been AI-generated using ChatGPT.

The Classic Fake Travel Photos

Whether these images have been copied for years or decades, surely you’ll have seen them already. Yet somehow, inexplicably, they still win competitions. This is the reason I believe most photography competition judges don’t know much about travel, Asia, or even which images won competitions the previous year. Doesn’t say much about serious, prestigious photo competitions now, does it?!

I will list images by country for ease of reference. Starting with my adopted home:

Fake Travel Photos taken in Vietnam

There’s a sizable photographic community emerging in Vietnam. Which is great! Still, while most of them are hard-working photographers trying to learn the craft (with some truly great street photographers), many use the shortcuts of staging popular images to easily grow their social media crowd.

Fishing Net Making

These photos come in many colours and sizes. This image can originate from Vietnam, Thailand, or Indonesia. As much as people really work on fishing nets in Vietnam, most of these scenes are way too clean to be real.

A person wearing a conical hat and red patterned shirt works with large green fishing nets, surrounded by waves of netting fabric.

Two people wearing conical hats and colorful clothing hold and arrange flowing orange fabric against a matching orange draped backdrop covering the floor and walls.

Three people in conical hats, two in red and one in yellow, sit on blue fishing nets, working with their hands. The background and floor are filled with blue netting, creating a vibrant, textured scene.

Common sense tip: If the subjects of the photo all seem to wear different complementary colours, it is most probably a set-up.

Mui Ne Sand Dune

Five children run down golden sand dunes, casting long shadows, while rolling tires in front of them. Their footprints trail behind, and the sunlight highlights the rippled texture of the sand.

Three women in traditional clothing walk in single file, carrying pots on their heads, silhouetted against a vibrant orange sunset in a desert landscape.

These images either involve children running after tires, women in white Ao Dai, or Cham-looking women carrying potteries on their heads.

Water Lilies in the Mekong Delta or Hue

Five people wearing conical hats and colorful shirts stand knee-deep in water, arranging long-stemmed pink water lilies into swirling patterns on the water’s surface.

Three people in conical hats sit in water, each surrounded by a circle of pink water lilies. Wooden boats are floating nearby, and the scene is viewed from above, creating a striking, symmetrical composition.

Ao Dai Ladies

A woman wearing a traditional white dress and a conical hat walks past a bright yellow wall with two blue shuttered windows.

By the way, any girl in a white áo dài (the traditional Vietnamese dress) doing something other than going to high school is probably staged. If you’ve ever had the joy of traveling to Vietnam, you’ll know that most people don’t like to expose themselves to sunlight. People usually cover themselves with jackets, gloves, and face masks. I myself, in my several years here, have never witnessed girls acting like the one in this image.

Fisherman Throwing a Fishing Net in Ninh Binh

A person wearing a hat stands on a wooden boat, casting a large fishing net over calm water, surrounded by misty green mountains under a soft, golden sky.

Inspired by the famous cormorant fisherman staged photo taken in China, this is a new and upcoming trendy staged photo taken in Vietnam.

Common sense tip: Unlike 18 years ago when I started photography in Vietnam, it is now extremely rare to see people throwing such nets. Fishing with a “normal” net that you place underwater is much more effective at catching fish and much easier to work with.

Fisherman Throwing a Fishing Net

A person wearing a conical hat casts a fishing net into the water at sunset, with water splashing in the foreground and the sun low on the horizon, creating a dramatic silhouette and golden light.

Common sense tip: Be very wary of any image of a fisherman throwing their nets literally on or over the photographer, whatever the country. People around the world would not throw their fishing nets at you unless you ask them to, or unless you happen to be a fish!

I will also include images of perfectly aligned boats with fishermen all throwing their nets together in perfect harmony. Yes, it could potentially – candidly – happen. But knowing my fellow photographers’ patience, there is a 99% chance that it didn’t.

Three fishermen in traditional hats cast large nets from wooden boats on a calm lake at sunrise, with golden light reflecting on the water and misty hills in the background.

Hoi An Fishing Nets

The people who stage this image stay under the same net, with the same fisherman, for over an hour. I guess it is in order to have time for everyone to queue and get the same shot. Also, it would be very hard to get that close to a fishing net if that were a candid situation.

Once again, this is a location that I often visit (I actually run daily photo tours in this area). We can easily get to that location and wait for the fishermen to come to their nets. But it is not guaranteed that they will come. Most of the time they do, but sometimes they don’t. The good thing is that there are plenty of other things to photograph on the river, and if you learn to be a good photographer, you will be able to get a greater variety of images.

A person stands on a small boat beneath large fishing nets on a calm body of water at sunset, with the sky glowing orange and silhouettes of distant trees and mountains in the background.

Two people are fishing on a small wooden boat at sunset, with the sun low over calm water and a hazy sky. A bridge and distant shoreline are visible in the background.

Two people in a wooden boat are fishing; one rows with a paddle while the other pulls a fishing net from the water. The calm water reflects the boat and their movements.

Two people in a small wooden boat row across a calm river at sunset. Fishing nets and boats are visible in the distance, with a bridge spanning the horizon under a hazy sky.

Old Man Pushing His Bicycle Filled With Fish Traps

An elderly man pushes a bicycle loaded with many large, cone-shaped baskets at sunrise, walking on a grassy path through a misty field.

Drying Chili

A person wearing a conical hat and blue shirt sits on the ground, holding a basket among a large number of red chili peppers spread out to dry, with a heart-shaped area cleared to reveal the sandy ground beneath.

Common Sense Tip: If you see similar photos with the model standing or sitting on the products they dry, be aware that the people who spend hours and hours growing fruits or vegetables to make a living do not trample their harvest. Also, in some scenes like the one below, the workers are completely stuck, surrounded by what they are drying. It doesn’t make much sense.

A person in a conical hat stands among many large round containers filled with white salt, holding one container in their hands. The arrangement creates a striking geometric pattern.

Drying Colorful Grass

Two people wearing conical hats work among bundles of red, green, and yellow reeds arranged in a circular pattern on a woven mat, viewed from above.

Aerial view of people wearing conical hats and colorful clothing standing on large, circular bundles of dyed bamboo sticks in red, yellow, green, and blue, arranged neatly on the ground.

Drone Photo of People Walking in High Grass

Conveniently following each other and dressed in red. And throw in a buffalo or two for good measure.

Aerial view of three people in red clothes and conical hats walking with two water buffalo across lush, wavy green grass. Their shadows stretch behind them in the sunlight.

Vietnam Salt Fields

Four workers in conical hats carry baskets of salt on their shoulders, silhouetted against a golden sunset sky as salt pours from their baskets onto a mound below.

Nowadays, the salt fields workers use wheelbarrows so as not to injure their backs. They also don’t throw salt all over their colleagues’ feet — that wouldn’t be comfortable. Salt stuck in your toes? No thanks.

Common sense tip: Look at how all the workers are so tight together. This would be very convenient to be so squeezed, and they would pour salt over their colleagues’ rubber boots. Salt stuck in your toes? No thanks. Also, very often the timing seems a little too perfect.

Silhouettes of five people wearing conical hats, carrying baskets and poles, are reflected in shallow water at sunset, with a golden sky in the background.

The Stilt Fishermen of Hai Ly

While these people really go to work in such ways, they definitely don’t walk on the sand at low tide in a perfect single-file line. Once again, common sense, people!

Five people wearing conical hats walk along a beach at sunset, carrying long poles over their shoulders. Their silhouettes and reflections are visible against the colorful sky and water.

It is easy to spot the staged image as the subjects are just placed in a way that is too perfect.

Quang Phu Cau Incense Village

This does indeed happen, and it’s beautiful to witness, but it’s also one of the most faked photos out there. So, how do you know which images are real and which are fake?

Well, here’s a little trick for you: when you’re faced with images of incense-making in Vietnam – or umbrella-making in Myanmar for that matter – ask yourself: where is the subject in the frame? Workers tend to do things logically; they go from one side to the other, from the beginning to the end. They don’t sit in the middle of their products like in the image here, it would make it very difficult for them to move around. Seeing a person right in the middle of a pattern of handmade products is usually staged.

Three people in conical hats arrange bundles of colorful incense sticks in a winding line on a blue surface, surrounded by densely packed red incense bundles.

You can compare the above with the two images below, which I took when visiting this village. People are actually really drying incense in this village, and it is possible to meet the people who really work there. As you can see, they are not locked in the middle of all the incense sticks. They align them one by one and always have empty space for them to move around.

A person wearing a conical hat arranges bundles of colorful incense sticks, including red, yellow, orange, and green, laid out in dense, vibrant rows on the ground.

A person wearing a conical hat arranges vibrant red bundles of incense sticks, which are spread out evenly on the ground to dry. The scene is colorful and orderly, highlighting traditional craftsmanship.

Trapped

Suspicious is any top-down shot where the model is sitting on their products or locked themselves in the middle of their products.

A person wearing a conical hat arranges numerous circular objects on the ground, viewed from above. The objects are arranged in a neat, grid-like pattern, with a dividing line running vertically through the image.

Smokey Workspace

Suspicious is any photo of old people doing handicrafts with tons of smoke in the background.

Three elderly people in traditional clothing sit on the floor weaving conical hats from natural fibers in warm sunlight streaming through a rustic wooden structure.

Flower Lady on the Bicycle With a Flower Mural

A person in a conical hat rides a bicycle with goods past a colorful mosaic wall featuring red flowers, green and yellow swirls, and part of an orange abstract design.

She normally goes from right to left, and has the flowers come out of the back of her bicycle. But ChatGPT took some creative decisions here and changed the direction of the bike. I am sure some photographers will find it a brilliant new version of this image.

North Vietnam Tea Plantations

Five workers wearing conical hats and carrying baskets walk between neatly arranged rows of lush green crops, creating diagonal patterns across the field.

In this case, the people are usually perfectly aligned, and all wearing the same traditional costume. If you have ever travelled to tea fields, you will realise that the workers often wear plastic around them so as not to get completely wet from the morning dew. I have never seen people working in the tea fields wearing their traditional costumes. People working in the tea fields usually look more like this:

Two people wearing conical hats work in a lush green tea plantation with misty mountains and clouds in the background. One person is closer to the camera, walking between rows of tea bushes.

The Terraces of Mù Cang Chải

Four people in traditional clothing walk through lush, green terraced rice fields under soft sunlight, with rolling hills and a small hut in the background.

There is a famous rice terrace in Mù Cang Chải in Northern Vietnam where every year, groups of photographers gather to take the exact same photo with the same models walking along. And so, every year, different photos emerge – still with the exact same models placed at the exact same spot, winning different competitions. It’s as simple as this: a group of photographers all standing in a line shooting the same thing while shouting at their subjects to “go right, go left, stop, keep going,” etc. Not exactly a spontaneous travel moment.

A large group of photographers with cameras and tripods gather on a dirt path beside terraced rice fields, surrounded by green hills and yellow crops. — Photo courtesy of Mike Pollock

Once again, using some common sense will help you to quickly identify the staged images. For example, in the image below, the woman is conveniently placed in the right spot, while all the rice has already been planted. What is she doing here then, pretending to plant what has already been planted?

A person in traditional clothing tends to young rice plants in lush, green terraced fields at sunrise, with sunlight reflecting on the water and rolling hills in the background.

Water Plants in the Mekong Delta

A person wearing a conical hat waters rows of neatly arranged round green bushes, creating a pattern of circles in a garden or nursery.

Hue Lagoon Fishermen

This is also a location I often visit on my photo tours, and there are a lot of great candid scenes to photograph there at sunrise. But it is also known for these kinds of images.

Aerial view of boats arranged in a flower pattern on calm blue water, with one boat nearby and two people standing in the water casting fishing nets.

Common sense tip: When things are too clean. I have strong suspicions whenever I see an image that just looks “too clean” or when people carry things they normally don’t, or in ways they normally wouldn’t. If an image seems “too clean to be true”, it probably is.

Hue Magical Lantern River at Sunset

A woman in a white dress and conical hat sits on a wooden boat, placing glowing lanterns shaped like lotus flowers onto calm, dark water at dusk.

Common sense tip: People do not wear a hat that protects them from the sun at night.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Myanmar

For the past 10 years, Myanmar has been an amazing playground for photographers. The country is extremely photogenic, and many photographers travel there to come home with stunning images. But unfortunately, it’s also a big-time favorite of the fakers. Those who decide to go for the shortcuts and create their own fake postcards.

Candlelit Novice Monks

Starting with an image that probably has won the most competitions around the world, that of a young novice monk praying by candlelight in a smoky temple in Bagan.

A young monk in a red robe sits cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by lit candles, reading an open book, with sunlight streaming through an arched window behind him and holding two bamboo frames.

Ok, ask yourself the question: how convenient is it to read small scriptures in a very dark room full of smoke? Next time you’re not sure whether an image is staged or not, just use that same logic.

Common sense tip: People don’t tend to work or read books with candlelight. So, if you see an image of a person working by candlelight, be suspicious. If you see anyone working by candlelight and the candles are arranged perfectly, be very suspicious.

There are lots of other locations in Myanmar that are used to stage novice and monk photos. I really can’t list them all here, so here are a few examples:

A Buddhist monk in a red robe holds a red umbrella, standing among ancient stone stupas in a misty, serene setting. The soft light creates a tranquil, spiritual atmosphere.

Three Buddhist monks in red robes run across the wavy white terraces of a temple with a white stupa against a clear blue sky.

A person in a robe stands in silhouette against a doorway with vertical rectangular openings, as warm sunlight streams through, creating dramatic rays of light around them.

Common sense tip: People don’t tend to use umbrellas inside. It doesn’t rain, nor is it sunny indoors. If you see an image with monks using umbrellas indoors, use your common sense to question the authenticity of that image.

Three monks in red robes walk barefoot under wooden arches, each holding a large red umbrella that covers their heads and shoulders, creating a sense of symmetry and tranquility.

The Standing Fishermen of Inle Lake

My next favourite staged images from Myanmar are those of Inle fishermen doing acrobatic moves on their boats. There are hundreds of copy-and-paste images of these fishermen. They used to win a lot of competitions many years ago, but have faded away in fashion.

Two fishermen in traditional attire balance on one leg at the edge of their wooden boats, holding large fishing nets, as the sun sets over calm water, creating golden reflections.

A silhouetted fisherman balances on one leg at the edge of a boat, framed by a large fishing net, with the sun shining behind him over calm water and distant mountains.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Indonesia

Flying Chickens

Don’t ask me why, but apparently, Indonesian boys are addicted to throwing chickens in the air – only in front of foggy forests, of course! I’ve no idea where, or how, this particular staged shot started, but it’s one that regularly appears on social media.

Two men in traditional plaid cloths, kneeling and appearing to release or catch two roosters mid-air, with large wicker cages stacked in the background and dramatic lighting highlighting the scene.

Dripping Rice Farmers

I don’t know if these ones are taken at the same locations as the flying chickens, but the scenes are very similar, at least to me. They include farmers carrying rice in pristine fields and light beams in the background. By the way, if you want to see water droplets falling off each bushel of rice simultaneously, you need to ask your model to dunk them in the water and walk pretty quickly. There is no way this can be a candid shot. Once again, common sense.

Two farmers wearing conical hats walk through a lush green field carrying bundles of young rice plants on their shoulders, with sunlight filtering through misty trees in the background.

You can also be quite suspicious when finding an image of a very serene scene with farmers and buffalo. Mostly when people sit or lie down on the animal. This is most probably staged.

A man in a conical hat tends to rice plants in a misty field while a woman in a red dress peacefully sleeps on a water buffalo. Traditional houses and tall palm trees are visible in the background.

The Galloping Horses of Bromo

I’ve seen nice images of horses galloping around Indonesia’s Mount Bromo in the past. Then I met someone who told me that guides commonly ask visitors if they want to get nice photos; they then gallop around the hills in circles to make as much dust as possible.

A person sits on a mountain ridge blowing smoke, with a horse standing nearby. The background features dramatic, sunlit mountain ranges extending into the distance under a clear sky.

The Jumpy Splash Line of Bali

Five men in swim shorts stand in shallow water in front of a waterfall, laughing and splashing water from colorful buckets, creating arches of water above their heads.

This is another image that you may have seen before. Once again, I don’t know what’s going on, nor do I care that much, but I’ve seen it many, many times.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Malaysia

The Boat Kids of Semporna

Kids on a boat in the foreground? Check. Clear turquoise blue water? Check. Stilt house in the background? Check. Welcome to one of the most popular staged images to come out of Malaysia: a much-repeated photo of the Bajau Laut sea nomads of Semporna.

Three people paddle a wooden canoe on clear turquoise water near stilt houses, with one person wearing a conical hat. Bright sky and calm, tropical setting suggest a coastal village scene.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in China

The Cormorant Fishermen of Guilin

Let’s start with the most popular staged travel photo coming from China – that of the famed cormorant fishermen of Guilin.

An elderly fisherman in traditional clothing sits on a bamboo raft with two cormorants, surrounded by misty karst mountains reflected in a calm river.

This particular scene has already been discussed online in previous articles. Photographer Jimmy McIntyre came out reporting how cruel this scene can be for the cormorant birds, which are forced to dive in the water so they can spray their wings, which makes for more beautiful photos.

Now, there has been an answer to this article (described as a “fantastic response” by PetaPixel), which is, in my opinion, plain wrong. It says that holding birds by the neck is the thing to do (my wildlife expert friends have confirmed to me that it’s not) and that the birds need to get wet so they don’t overheat… But. Most images you can see are taken before sunrise, when surely it’s not that hot?! Anyway, I remain very much unsatisfied with the response set out in that article and still believe it’s unethical to ask the fishermen to dunk their birds underwater in the name of a prettier shot.

Farmers in Xiapu

A person wearing a wide-brimmed hat walks with a buffalo under large, arching trees as sunlight streams through the misty forest, creating a serene and atmospheric scene.

Here is another example of how these photographers are misleading the public. I even found one of these images titled: “Farmer returns from field early morning”.

The photo is obviously staged (different photographers, different days, same tree, same models, same composition), yet the titles usually make us believe that they aren’t. This is how devious these photographers are. I honestly wouldn’t care about all this if they were honest about their work, but they often say how they were lucky to get the shot, or how the moment was candid, while it clearly wasn’t.

People Walking in a Pretty Scene in Xiandu

A woman, a dog, and a man with a water buffalo cross a narrow wooden bridge over calm water, surrounded by misty mountains and lush greenery in the background.

Sometimes there is a buffalo, sometimes a dog. Who knows what will come next?

The Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

Two people in traditional attire ride horses through a shallow stream, each holding a large eagle. Snow-capped mountains rise in the background under a clear sky, and golden grass covers the landscape.

Silhouettes of six people on horseback holding birds of prey, likely eagles, against a vivid orange and yellow sunset sky. The birds appear to be in flight as the group stands atop a ridge.

A very popular image these days, as Mongolia is becoming more frequently visited. It is, of course, easier to stage an eagle hunter and photograph him for 30 minutes rather than follow him for days at a time while he’s hunting, which would create a real body of work about his life. That requires time, which not everyone has.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in India

All right, India, as much as your street photography scene is truly amazing, there are still people traveling around your beautiful country staging images in your most popular cities, often unethically.

The Sadhus of Varanasi

Varanasi is a prime example of this. Online, you can find countless images of “Sadhus” turning their back on the holy Ganges river. Ask any real Sadhu out there if this is something they would ever do. Give it a go.

A man in a red turban and pants sits cross-legged, meditating by a riverbank with boats and wide stone steps, as people and historic buildings line the waterfront in the soft golden light.

Nowadays, one can witness photographers flashing fake Sadhus all along the Ganges with no thought whatsoever behind their images. They want that pretty shot, whether it is real, appropriate, or not.

Thanks to all of their efforts to try and get a pretty image of a holy man, these photographers have created a whole new market of “Sadhus for hire” along the Ghats of Varanasi. These people dress like Sadhus and sit around all day asking for tourists to take their photos in exchange for money. It is quite disturbing for any candid photographer, and it feels like the whole city is fake. Thanks, staging photographers, for spoiling an otherwise amazing location.

The Stepwells of Rajasthan

Surely you’ve seen similar images to this one of the stepwells in Rajasthan? I know I have, let’s say, a million times!

Three women in colorful traditional clothing walk along symmetrical stone steps by green water, their reflections visible in the water below. The geometric stair patterns create a striking visual effect.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Bangladesh

I haven’t seen many staged photos coming out of Bangladesh, because it is such an awesome country for travel photography. Yet some people still have to do it, because it is just easier than trying to be a good photographer.

Drying Chillies

Overhead view of two rows of people in colorful clothing and umbrellas sitting on a bright red surface, likely drying chilies. Three people sit in a boat on a bare patch at the bottom. Each person holds a round basket.

ChatGPT even decided to add a boat in there, for even more authenticity! Once again, the subjects are just trampling their crops, which doesn’t make any sense.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Sri Lanka

The Stilt Fishermen

We have Steve McCurry to thank for popularising this image of the Sri Lankan fishermen on stilts.

Silhouetted fishermen sit on wooden stilts above the ocean waves at sunset, with the sun low on the horizon and gentle surf in the foreground.

Now, this is still a tradition in Sri Lanka, and some people do fish like this. But most images that you see online were captured on the south coast, between Mirissa and Galle. And this is where the locals have – and I am not kidding here – literally built parking spaces in front of their stilts so busloads of tourists can park up and photograph them. They even come up to the people with a menu, showing different photos they can take with different prices! Including a price for you to stand on their stilts and get your Instagram influencer shot.

What’s more, if you dare walk on the coastline with a camera in hand, some people might harass you and aggressively ask you for money to photograph the fishermen, even though you’ve no intention to do so.

This is THE worst thing I have ever experienced in Sri Lanka.

Fake Travel Photos Taken in Africa

I know this was supposed to be a library of fake travel photos in Asia – but I’ve gotten all wound up now, so I’m going to include a little bonus detour over to East Africa as well!

Any Photo From the Omo Valley or Ethiopia

Two people with white and red dotted face paint, large wooden earplugs, and vibrant yellow flower and green leaf headdresses, standing closely together against a dark background, wearing colorful beaded necklaces.

Ethiopia’s Omo Valley looks to me like one of the biggest photographic circuses on the planet. If you trust the photos, it’s like the locals are competing every year to try and outdo each other for who can have the most flowers or unexpected things on their heads as possible.

You can’t blame the locals. It’s completely understandable. If photographers return every year to get more “original shots”, the locals with the most elaborate head adornment will end up making more money. I blame the photographers for going to photograph them.

It’s got to the ridiculous point whereby every year I see new photos of children with more and more trees, fruits and flowers, and paintings on their heads to attract photographers. I believe this is basically destroying their culture, or what people see as being their own culture.

Three people with faces painted in white and red dots wear elaborate headdresses made of bananas, pineapples, coconuts, and yellow flowers, against a dark background. They also wear matching floral necklaces.

These local people are viewed by most visiting photographers not as humans but as objects they can use to get nice, competition-winning photos. They probably don’t ever stop to think about whether this is right or wrong, whether they should depict the real world or their own fantasy post-colonial African dream.

Unethical Travel Images

Any Staged Image Involving Human Abuse

There are many images that fit into this category. This goes much beyond the simple act of traveling and capturing a staged image. This implies human exploitation, using a population for our own images, and only a few business-minded people benefit from this exploitation.

I actually believe that all the examples I am using in this article are unethical. In my opinion, a photographer traveling to a location and asking people to pose in a way that is not their normal way of life hurts the culture, customs, and beliefs of its people. It leads to the destruction of their own culture and creates a fake cultural facade that will please only travelers.

One of the finest examples of this is the long-necked Padaung women in Myanmar and Thailand.

A woman with traditional brass neck rings and a colorful headscarf poses in front of vibrant, striped fabric. She gazes calmly to the side, wearing a white shirt and small, flower-shaped earrings.

Not all photos of long-necked women are part of this category, but many, if not most, are. There are locations in Thailand and Myanmar where these women are exploited to pose for tourists, bringing a good revenue for their hosts – a kind of master and slave relationship.

That’s another reason why I have something against visiting these locations to take easy photos. The people are not treated with respect. There will always be someone keen to make money by offering other people available to be photographed.

This situation has been discussed and criticized for years:

“Residents receive an allowance of food and toiletries and profit from handicraft sales, and women wearing brass rings earn an extra salary. Village owners decrease wages if women discuss their plight with visitors or use anything modern, like cell phones or computers,” Epicure & Culture reports.

“Some trekking companies and human rights groups consider the Padaung villages, which stretch across northern Thailand, to be ‘human zoos’ that exploit the women. There have even been reports that some of the Padaung are prisoners held captive in the villages by businessmen,” the Seattle Times reports.

Any Staged Image Involving Minors

Being a travel photographer, I do realize how easy it is to organize staged photos, and I also understand how, at first, it could seem fine to hire a minor to pose for your travel images.

People are very friendly in most places you travel in Asia, and they will let you organize your photoshoot if you ask them to. You could feel that you’re financially helping a family by paying the parents. The children, posing for your images, seem happy; they smile, they laugh, it’s all just a fun game for them.

But honestly, a lot of families are poor, and they would do a lot of things for a little bit of money. Or if not money, simply to please foreign visitors, who are often given far more respect than they deserve. But just because as a photographer you can do it, it doesn’t mean you should do it.

Three young monks in red robes sit outdoors. One reads a book while the other two laugh together. Red umbrellas, stone columns, and soft natural light surround them, creating a serene, peaceful atmosphere.

After all, what will be the impact on that child’s life?

By staging minors in your images, you’re propagating the idea that people can easily make money by posing for tourists with a camera (yes, I am a travel photographer, which is basically a tourist with a camera). They will associate foreigners with easy money, as long as they pose for their photos. And this can create a “village competition” between children, over who can attract the photographer and make more money.

Look at the children from the Omo Valley I mentioned earlier. The circus of “objects on display” – children – created by unthinking photographers, who are focused on taking the “best” possible image without thinking about the ethics involved.

Whether young monks or the children of the Omo Valley, you are using the children as props for your beautiful photos, and it’s not ok. Even though they make money, and even though they agree to it, they are still children! And kids don’t have the knowledge or maturity to decide for themselves.

Any Staged Image Including a Particular Person

There is one woman in the area of Mindat in Myanmar who has been photographed again and again. Now, when people arrive in the village, she instantly dresses up and comes out of her home, expecting people to photograph her and then buy some of her souvenirs. I see this as a good way for this woman to support herself. She is definitely a grown-up person who can decide for herself. But this isn’t always the case.

An elderly woman with intricate face tattoos smiles gently, wearing large circular earrings made of colorful beads and traditional necklaces with beads and shell ornaments. Her long gray hair is parted in the middle.

The Case of the Blue-eyed Girl in Vietnam

This young girl was “discovered” by a photographer and popularised with the use of heavy marketing. Now, photography tour groups show up at her house to photograph her.

Google image search results for "blue eyed girl vietnam," displaying various portraits of girls and women, many wearing headscarves, with striking blue or green eyes and diverse backgrounds.

There is definitely something ethically wrong going on here, and I feel like for these people, it’s like a visit to the zoo. Get out of your bus, stage your “model” wherever you want to get your pretty picture. Which includes: arranging different scarves on her head to make her look prettier, placing her in front of the background you want, etc… I can see, in the not-too-distant future, images of this girl with flowers, trees, and fruits on her head, Omo Valley style.

Any Staged Image Including Wildlife

For example, snake charmers in India. A lot of wrongdoing is happening with the treatment of these animals. People will capture animals in the wild and tame them until they are placid enough to be displayed in front of tourists and photographers. This is the same for the cormorant fisherman in China. The more photographers come, the more cormorants they are going to need. Please, just avoid them.

An elderly man in an orange turban and robe plays a flute-like instrument, charming a cobra rising from a basket, with stone steps in the background.

Now, you could combine several unethical practices: minority people and wildlife exploitation!

A woman wearing traditional attire and brass neck rings stands between two elephants, gently touching them. The background is softly lit with warm, natural light.

When in Doubt, Do Some Digging

If you’re faced with an image (usually on social media) that looks staged but you’re not completely sure, simply have a quick look at the other pictures from the photographer. Someone who stages images once usually does it more than once.

I have seen many images that I suspected of being staged, and by simply checking the photographer’s profile, I realised that most of their pictures were staged, which in turn confirmed my suspicions about the original picture.

In Summary

I hope you understand my motivations behind writing this article and sharing this library. I genuinely believe that staging travel images kills your creativity, and it makes the whole travel photography scene become boring, something no photographer wants to see.

If copied images that win competitions become the new standard, then the message that’s sent to emerging photographers is “if you want to have a lot of followers on social media, or if you want to win photo competitions, staging will make your life easier.”

We have to stop this and make travel photography interesting again.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

About the author: Etienne Bossot is a travel photographer based in Asia. You can find more of Bossot’s work and writing on his website, blog, Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook. This article was also published here.

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