I love to rent Airbnb apartments when I travel. It’s usually the same price or less than a hotel, and you get a kitchen… you get more space… and it’s more like living like a local.

Plus, if you rent a place abroad, you can use the space to shoot stock photos! Here are a few we took in our Mediterranean villas during our Provence Stock Photo Expedition with Lise Gagne:

stock photo model in Provence

© Lise Shipley

Stock photo model at a villa in France

© Bonnie Caton

stock photo workshop in France

© Marsha Wassel

Reality shots like this are one of the current top stock photo trends

© Lynn Michels

Authentic shots like this are always popular on stock photo sites

© Cindy Guthrie

Real-looking photos like this are among current stock photo trends

© Jan Corradini

Happy couple stock photo workshop in France

© Bonnie Caton

These days, some stock agencies are asking for a property release when the background is recognizable. Some of these are, some aren’t… but to be safe, we wanted to get one.

Since I booked our villas through Airbnb.com, I wrote a quick note to the owners to see if they’d exchange a property release for some of the photos of people “vacationing” in their places. After all, it could be great marketing for them! They were thrilled – and happy to make a trade.

If you book a place on Airbnb.com, make sure to choose “Entire home” so that you get the whole place to yourself. And why not write a little note to the host before you book, to see if they’d sign a property release for you… then you’re set before you go.

They might even know someone locally who’d want to model! We found a fake boyfriend for our model Isabelle, below, through one of our Airbnb hosts…

Two models pose for a stock photo

© Bonnie Caton

Just goes to show it never hurts to ask!

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about getting started selling your photos online in stock agencies – no matter how much or little photography experience you have – in the Breakfast Stock Club e-newsletter. It’s once a week, and it’s free to join, here.]

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