Adventure is not just visiting the places you love. Instead, another way to have fun is to explore more about unknown tourist places. Sometimes, you find strange travel photos online that leave many questions in your mind. Among them, a common one is, "Where did this picture come from?"
It's natural to think about the origin of such images that leave you astonished. However, finding their sources could be very tricky. Why? Because most of the time travel photos are shared by profiles and pages that don't own them. So, it really becomes harder to know who the real creator of these photographs is.
But worry not; this guide will help you explore the origins of such anonymous images. Before that, let's understand why navigating to the primary source of travel shots is important.
Let's look at a few good reasons why locating the source of travel-related pictures is necessary.
Sometimes, a travel picture inspires you so much that you wish to share it on your social channels. However, uploading another traveler's work without proper attribution always has a risk of copyright strike.
You might face a temporary or permanent ban on your profiles due to using copyrighted material. But if you know who created the picture, you can credit the owner and make fair use of travel images online.
Many of the tourists are usually professional photographers who love to capture amazing scenes. They put a lot of hard work and dedication into taking images. They want their intellectual property to be respected by others.
So, if you are aware of where a travel image came from, you can show your respect for the original creator by asking permission to use it. This little kind gesture helps you build strong relationships within the tourist community.
Another key reason for engaging in the adventure of locating the origins of travel images is to authenticate sources. Sometimes, the real owner may edit a picture taken in a particular location and use it in the wrong way on social media platforms.
So, when you find where the photo was first uploaded, you actually reach the source of that image. Then, you can review the source profile to check whether it has a history of sharing false or edited pictures or not. This saves you from believing and sharing misinformation regarding tourism.
Here are some smart practices that enable you to discover the source of a travel image with less effort:
The smartest way to locate the origin of a travel picture is to use an online image finder and upload the desired photo to it. The tool instantly recognizes the objects and other details in the uploaded photograph and compares them with millions of images on the internet. Then, it finds all the visuals that match exactly or partially with the reference picture and shows them to you along with their sources.
Consequently, you can see where the same image has been featured online. Then, you can navigate to different sources of that picture and check who uploaded it first. This way, you can reach the origin in less time than with all other methods. Some advanced tools let you search the image across multiple databases. This facility further speeds up the process of finding the source of a photo.
Sometimes, the clues of the owner of a travel-related picture are right inside the image itself. All you have to do is to pay close attention and look for visual signs of ownership. These could be a small logo placed at any corner of the picture or a slightly visible watermark in the center or anywhere on the image.
The presence of such indicators clearly states to whom a photograph belongs. Once you spot something like that, you can search for it online to get more information about the source. You can also directly search on social media platforms to directly find the exact source profile or page. However, with this method, finding the original creator might take some extra time.
Metadata might sound like a technical term to travelers like you, but it's not. It's just hidden information that every photo file typically has. However, what's special is that metadata often contains guides about usage rights of a picture and the name of the real owner. So, inspecting this secret information could reveal the exact source of a travel picture.
All you need to do is right-click on the image and go to its properties. Then, open the "Details" section and scroll down. There, you can easily find the metadata of a picture, starting with the general image details, such as size and format. Closely look at all the information in the metadata and check if you find the name of any person or travel page.
Another way is to ask the members of a particular online travel community to help you in tracing the source of a picture. There are many friendly groups on social media that let you post your queries related to photos. You can simply upload the intended image to such groups and seek the assistance of fellow travelers in discovering the origin of that picture.
There is a chance that some tourists, locals, or influencers may recognize the image and tell you where it came from originally. However, sometimes, you might get no or irrelevant responses from community members, which might confuse you. You just need to avoid such comments and focus on the information that you really want.
We hope that this guide has made it clear why you need to find sources of travel images and how exactly to do it. So, there is nothing to worry about. Just apply the above-mentioned practices without any hesitation. We are sure that one of these strategies, especially image search, could really help you reach the origin of travel pictures.
