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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lensball orange yellow purple lights

Lensball Orange Yellow Purple Lights


bass guitar in hand

Bass Guitar In Hand


pale cherry tree flowers

Pale Cherry Tree Flowers


pink flowers blooming on a spring day in the city

Pink Flowers Blooming On A Spring Day In The City


the mehrangarh fort and museum

The Mehrangarh Fort and Museum


night fireworks off bridge

Night Fireworks Off Bridge


deep green leaves white veins

Deep Green Leaves White Veins


calm zen garden pond

Calm Zen Garden Pond


hands cup wooden blocks spelling the words mental health

Hands Cup Wooden Blocks Spelling The Words Mental Health


basilica roof

Basilica Roof


still lake with divingboard

Still Lake With Divingboard


racing track and field numbers

Racing Track And Field Numbers


white horses in a lush forest

White Horses In A Lush Forest


photo of a street corner where two buildings meet

Photo Of A Street Corner Where Two Buildings Meet


warehouse wood rafters

Warehouse Wood Rafters


nature encased in ice

Nature Encased In Ice


sunset on rural road in summer

Sunset On Rural Road In Summer


window with iron guards on yellow building

Window With Iron Guards On Yellow Building


vine hanging on ceiling with white wall

Vine Hanging On Ceiling With White Wall


volleyball close up

Volleyball Close Up


outdoor swimming pool with tall trees behind it

Outdoor Swimming Pool With Tall Trees Behind It


metro ceiling triangles

Metro Ceiling Triangles


stream nestled between fall trees

Stream Nestled Between Fall Trees


hands work on a glass mosaic to left side of frame

Hands Work On A Glass Mosaic To Left Side Of Frame


urban grafitti viewed on angle

Urban Grafitti Viewed On Angle


close up of a worn barn exterior

Close Up Of A Worn Barn Exterior


wall of thick, waxy leaves

Wall Of Thick, Waxy Leaves


two small wooden chair with striped fabric

Two Small Wooden Chair With Striped Fabric


medium wide shot of baby pink blossoms amidst scarlet leaves

Medium Wide Shot Of Baby Pink Blossoms Amidst Scarlet Leaves


beautiful landscape of soft pastel grassy hills

Beautiful Landscape Of Soft Pastel Grassy Hills


triangle of round circles create a tree light shape

Triangle Of Round Circles Create A Tree Light Shape


water creates glass texture on city street

Water Creates Glass Texture On City Street


office window pattern

Office Window Pattern


snow capped iceland hillside

Snow Capped Iceland Hillside


side of a building with silver doors

Side Of A Building With Silver Doors


cornet instrument in dark room

Cornet Instrument In Dark Room


rocky mountain above evergreen forest

Rocky Mountain Above Evergreen Forest


orange blooms closeup

Orange Blooms Closeup


fireworks in night sky

Fireworks In Night Sky


white blocks laying in colorful dots spells out smile

White Blocks Laying In Colorful Dots Spells Out Smile


pistachio nuts texture

Pistachio Nuts Texture


patterns of farmland from aircraft view

Patterns Of Farmland From Aircraft View


silver and holiday horn

Silver And Holiday Horn


hand reaches for a book next to sunglasses and a bag

Hand Reaches For A Book Next To Sunglasses And A Bag


moon rises over mountains

Moon Rises Over Mountains


cactus plant close up center

Cactus Plant Close Up Center


sun over mountain tops

Sun Over Mountain Tops


yellow and blue patterned paper background

Yellow And Blue Patterned Paper Background


two rows of shipping containers taken with a drone

Two Rows Of Shipping Containers Taken With A Drone


plant wall of succulents

Plant Wall Of Succulents


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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.