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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blue water and white cliffs surrounded by trees

Blue Water And White Cliffs Surrounded By Trees

winding tree towers over landscape

Winding Tree Towers Over Landscape

deep beneath the antelope canyon

Deep Beneath The Antelope Canyon

elaborate building interior with light teal walls

Elaborate Building Interior With Light Teal Walls

beach at sunset in teal and orange

Beach At Sunset In Teal And Orange

overcast 59th street bridge

Overcast 59th Street Bridge

a red-orange column of smoke in darkness

A Red-Orange Column Of Smoke In Darkness

blue ink explosion

Blue Ink Explosion

a cluster of curling pink, silver and white like ink in water

A Cluster Of Curling Pink, Silver And White Like Ink In Water

vertical cirtus slices

Vertical Cirtus Slices

abstract image of colored paper creating horizontal lines

Abstract Image Of Colored Paper Creating Horizontal Lines

abstract background of four colored triangles

Abstract Background Of Four Colored Triangles

white blocks spells out stay well repeatedly

White Blocks Spells Out Stay Well Repeatedly

four black microphones lay on a pink background

Four Black Microphones Lay On A Pink Background

side of a white metropolitan building with large windows

Side Of A White Metropolitan Building With Large Windows

fluffy clouds are colored by a setting sun

Fluffy Clouds Are Colored By A Setting Sun

glass windows creating repeat pattern

Glass Windows Creating Repeat Pattern

the sun rises and paints the hills in warm light

The Sun Rises And Paints The Hills In Warm Light

soft gradient of sunset over water

Soft Gradient Of Sunset Over Water

two different textures of sand

Two Different Textures Of Sand

a film reel lays tangled against a white background

A Film Reel Lays Tangled Against A White Background

fresh rainfall on green leaves

Fresh Rainfall On Green Leaves

hands reach for each other against a painted wall

Hands Reach For Each Other Against A Painted Wall

a landscape of rust colored sand dunes

A Landscape Of Rust Colored Sand Dunes

stone archway looks out to a tall building with circular roof

Stone Archway Looks Out To A Tall Building With Circular Roof

person dances in door way with a view of the taj mahal

Person Dances In Door Way With A View Of The Taj Mahal

calm water in european city

Calm Water In European City

asphalt highway

Asphalt Highway

perfect yellow flower

Perfect Yellow Flower

beach sunset thailand

Beach Sunset Thailand

pink petals on pink

Pink Petals On Pink

abstract blue

Abstract Blue

fog on dark waters edge

Fog On Dark Waters Edge

palm trees sky

Palm Trees Sky

long forest path

Long Forest Path

beautiful day at the beach

Beautiful Day At The Beach

celebrate carnival background

Celebrate Carnival Background

pink spring tree blossoms

Pink Spring Tree Blossoms

dusty rose

Dusty Rose

red textured wall

Red Textured Wall

ocean water with swimmers

Ocean Water With Swimmers

city lights through rain window

City Lights Through Rain Window

writing tools

Writing Tools

seaweed washed up on beach

Seaweed Washed Up On Beach

green orange and yellow ink

Green Orange And Yellow Ink

beach sunset

Beach Sunset

mountain magic hour

Mountain Magic Hour

stream water passing through cliffs

Stream Water Passing Through Cliffs

golden autumn leaves

Golden Autumn Leaves

hiking though giants

Hiking Though Giants

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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.

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