Top 20 Images on Unsplash from May 2026

In May, Unsplash welcomed a whopping 100,362 new images. We handpicked 20 amazing submissions from the bunch, each with its own story to tell.

“An impromptu pit stop in the middle-of-nowhere Colorado proved necessary when we blew past the “UFO Watchtower” tucked off the highway. The group radioed to each other that we’d be doing ourselves a disservice not to stop, so we turned around and headed into one of the more intriguing and eclectic places I’ve ever been. Straight out of Atlas Obscura.” — Logan Weaver 🇺🇸

“I managed to take this photo while on a trip to Berlin. We happened to come across a poster for an exhibition, so we decided to check it out, and it turned out to be a great experience. My main goal was to enjoy the exhibition, but I took a few photos here and there, and that’s how this photo came about.” — Lukáš Konvica 🇨🇿

“A Yellow Warbler sings from a budding tree during spring migration at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on the southern shore of Lake Erie, Ohio.” — Mark Olsen 🇺🇸

“If you have found this picture. I want you to hug yourself. Love yourself. Give the love to yourself which you expected from others to love you.” — A Chosen Soul 🇮🇳

“I visited this place for the first time in December 2025. I decided to return bringing also my drone - I was curious how it looked from above.” — Iuliu Illes 🇷🇴

“A breathtaking Cannes sunset melts the sky into pink, orange, and gold while the harbor quietly flexes its luxury yachts like they know they’re photogenic. The water mirrors every glow, turning reflections into liquid poetry. City lights slowly wake up, flirting with the horizon like it’s date night on the French Riviera. The mood? Pure romance, soft breeze, whispered love stories, cinematic calm. It’s the kind of scene that makes couples hold hands longer, and photographers pretend they planned this shot. “ — Lens by Benji 🇩🇪

“I was experimenting on how to capture Tara Donovan's exhibit called Stratagems, which are sculptures made up of hundreds of CDs. I started playing with bokeh and shallow depth of field to create the different textures reflected off the CDs. During the edit, my inspiration was 80s futuristic or even cyberpunk kind of look.” — Jason Leung 🇺🇸

A small moon crossing a planet emphasizes the vast scale of celestial objects and how tiny humans are by comparison. At the same time, a barely visible ship silhouette hints at the immense size of artificial structures.” — Nick Shuper 🇱🇻

“Beyond the quiet green fields, the church tower rises calmly against the misty morning sky. Surrounded by forests and silence, it stands like a timeless landmark in the soft light of dawn. The peaceful atmosphere feels untouched, as if the world is slowly waking up around it.” — Pascal Debrunner 🇨🇭

“Astronaut Silhouette on Dune Top Red Planet Desert Landscape at Sunset Space Exploration Scene 3D illustration” — Paul Campbell 🇬🇧

“Interwoven braided cable forming a dense, sculptural structure that feels both engineered and organic. The looping coils twist into each other, creating layers of depth and a strong sense of tension, almost like a frozen motion study. Fine woven texture catches light across every curve, producing a soft metallic shimmer that shifts with perspective.” — ObjectType RAW 🇮🇩

“The inspiration for this illustration came from the simple beauty of water waves. The depth, colour, and composition of the surrounding elements result from experimentation. I kept pushing, adjusting the colours and elements until it felt good.” — Anupam Raisim Kerketta 🇮🇳

"Macro wildlife photographs of bees collecting pollen and nectar from purple flowers during golden hour light." – Dmytro Koplyk 🇺🇸

“A 3D render of an expansive beach at dusk, with the sun setting in the center of the frame and a line of smooth rocks trailing off into the horizon on the right. Made in Blender 5.1” — Dzo 🌎

“This illustration reflects the inner world of a mentally ill person: fear, isolation, and the sense of being dangerous to others - trapped in loneliness like in a dark web." – Maria Lupan 🇲🇩

“A room without a house. A window with no wall. A curtain with no room. Some thresholds exist not to be crossed... but to remind you the sky was always open. Made with Blender 5.1.1” — Mehrab Sium 🇧🇩

“Most people are passengers in their own lives, drifting with the flow of time. But a few steps aside, even briefly, to see things differently—to turn an ordinary moment into something meaningful.” — Ricky T 🇹🇼

“I travelled back to my home province of Newfoundland to visit nature reserves and national parks, including Cape St Mary’s ecological reserve to observe seabirds and Razorbills nesting for the summer, like this one, which gave me a quick, curious glance that felt more intimate in a black and white style.” — Jeremy Hynes, 🇨🇦

"This was a very serendipitous moment during my trip to Cao Bang, Vietnam, late last year. As I sat on a grassy hill waiting for the sunset, I came across some Tay ethnic people with their horses strolling in the twilight. I thought the scene was beautiful and captured it with my camera.” — Chinh Le Duc 🇻🇳

“The most common basic fractal formula for generating quasi-spiral patterns is the Iterative Complex Function. From this point of origin, it is a matter of experimentation with mathematical equations that determine the final graphic product. Further, by using additional mathematical formulae, the colouration of the graphic is determined.” — John A Garrison Jr 🇺🇸

See you in a month when we take a look back on June!👋 (Psst, want to make the next round-up? Include a description with your submission.)