1000+ HD Background Images and Photos

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.