1000+ HD Background Images and Photos

Browse through our collection of stunning background photographs. Our background images are textured, patterned and arranged to perfectly support the content that you choose to add to your website.

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a green triangle and an orange triangle on paper

A Green Triangle And An Orange Triangle On Paper


pink paper is ripped revealing blue underneath

Pink Paper Is Ripped Revealing Blue Underneath


reflective water texture

Reflective Water Texture


deconstructed fortune cookie

Deconstructed Fortune Cookie


chain link fence

Chain Link Fence


green and pink flower

Green And Pink Flower


a drop of pink and yellow paint in water

A Drop Of Pink And Yellow Paint In Water


green foxglove plant

Green Foxglove Plant


edison bulbs and blurred lights

Edison Bulbs And Blurred Lights


sunbeams streak through forrest trees

Sunbeams Streak Through Forrest Trees


traveller looks down

Traveller Looks Down


handful of euros currency

Handful Of Euros Currency


waterfall through rock face

Waterfall Through Rock Face


ireland grass field

Ireland Grass Field


spring gardening set up

Spring Gardening Set Up


purple flower petals close up

Purple Flower Petals Close Up


zen garden peace stone

Zen Garden Peace Stone


green cliffs viewing

Green Cliffs Viewing


four buildings from below small clouds

Four Buildings From Below Small Clouds


ukulele on blue background

Ukulele On Blue Background


rapids & forest

Rapids & Forest


black yellow and red ink

Black Yellow And Red Ink


purple ink cloud

Purple Ink Cloud


glacier water winding through landscape

Glacier Water Winding Through Landscape


yay balloons

Yay Balloons


ireland grasslands

Ireland Grasslands


delicate pink flowers with yellow leaves

Delicate Pink Flowers With Yellow Leaves


resting by galcier waterfall

Resting By Galcier Waterfall


fuchsia white blossoming flowers

Fuchsia White Blossoming Flowers


city by mountain

City By Mountain


empty subway train car.jpeg

Empty Subway Train Car


bank of india paper notes

Bank Of India Paper Notes


abandoned home in field

Abandoned Home In Field


two-tone ink cloud

Two-Tone Ink Cloud


bursting fireworks

Bursting Fireworks


buttons top frame

Buttons Top Frame


curvy shoreline with gravel path

Curvy Shoreline With Gravel Path


woodgrain background with chinese animals

Woodgrain Background With Chinese Animals


bright red and yellow summer flowers

Bright Red And Yellow Summer Flowers


purple orchid closeup

Purple Orchid Closeup


coffee beans on branch

Coffee Beans On Branch


lemonade on white woodgrain table

Lemonade On White Woodgrain Table


yellow wall with a section of exposed brick

Yellow Wall With A Section Of Exposed Brick


flower petals huddled together near a candle

Flower Petals Huddled Together Near a Candle


bamboo wall background

Bamboo Wall Background


kayaks on racks under blue sky.jpeg

Kayaks On Racks Under Blue Sky


extremely long desert road

Extremely Long Desert Road


forest wildflowers

Forest Wildflowers


dead end in the forest

Dead End In The Forest


gold pocket watch on a black notebook

Gold Pocket Watch On A Black Notebook


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Stunning HD background photos for commercial use

What makes background pictures different?

Background photographs are used very differently that regular images for a number of reasons. When selecting a background image - there are specialized criteria to keep in mind. For starters - background pictures won’t fit into a fixed frame they way other photographs would. When a photo is locked into an article or block of text or shown as part of an advertisement - the dimensions are fixed - meaning that selecting a suitable photo really just comes down to aesthetics.

With background images - things work a little differently. To start, backgrounds are not likely to be in a fixed frame and will need to be equally beautiful when viewed on a large fullscreen, widescreen, or a mobile phone screen. It’s for this reason that web developers will often choose an images of a pattern - so that parts of the it can be cut off by web-browsers and other content that may vary in size and shape without looking like the image is misplaced.

If you’re not using a pattern, you’ll want to make sure the image isn’t too focused. Images with a clear subject don't work as well as background images because parts of the subject may be covered.

You may also choose to use background images to create a parallax scrolling effect. Parallax scrolling has been proven to create a better user experience for web users. This is where a web designer or developer might choose to add content in front of a background images that scrolls faster than the background image itself. This effect is used on web-pages to give the illusion of depth to the page and to create a more dynamic viewing experience.

Images used in parallax scrolling tend to be a little bit different from regular background images. They can be patterns and textures as well - but because portions of the image will scroll by at some point, the images can be a bit more focused - as long as the focus is toward the centre of the image.

Remember that background images take a supporting role in web-page design, so it’s best if they’re simple, clean and patterned. Even if the pattern isn’t design-oriented, you’ll want to go with images without a single, clear subject. Photograph-wise, images like city scapes, landscapes, or large images of busy locations with many subjects tend to look best.

Background images for commercial use

Luckily when it comes to getting the perfect background photo - we’ve got your covered. Our collection of HD photos are perfect for editing and can be used as widescreen backgrounds, full screen backgrounds, and desktop backgrounds and will look equally stunning on both Windows and Mac computers at any size (1600 x 1200, 1440, 1280, 1920).

Take a look at our free, downloadable high resolution images - perfect for your next project.