avoid using the same boring images<\/a> that everyone else is using, and images that are clearly stock photos. Web users can be a fairly savvy bunch, and if they see the same \u201cprofessional woman\u201d or \u201celderly man\u201d on multiple sites, they will notice \u2014 and they might think you are lazy or unprofessional. When searching for images, look beyond the most popular selections, and choose photos that haven\u2019t appeared over and over again on 1,000 sites.<\/p>\n![\"photo](\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg)
Generic, boring sizes.<\/strong> Not only are generic stock photos boring, but so is a design that only incorporates photos in the same sizes and shapes. You don\u2019t want to create a chaotic design with a bunch of different and random shapes and sizes, but don\u2019t be afraid to mix things up a bit and show some creativity.<\/p>\nFear of cropping.<\/strong> Careful cropping of photo can take a photo from blah to wow. By cropping a photo, you can show more detail and create a focal point to draw users attention where you want it. When looking at the photos you\u2019ve selected, consider whether cropping out unnecessary elements would make the photo more impactful, and don\u2019t be afraid to be a bit ruthless.<\/p>\nUnedited photos. We aren\u2019t talking about achieving perfection here \u2014 no need to get crazy and turn your staff into a group of supermodels for the \u201cAbout Us\u201d page. However, don\u2019t be afraid to do some cleanup in an image editing program where necessary. This means cropping out distracting background elements, removing red eye, adjusting the lighting and shadows, and removing small flaws (like the one hair flying in the wrong direction). If you don\u2019t know how to edit photos, ask someone who knows for help \u2014 or select a different photo. Remember that you can\u2019t \u201cfix\u201d a truly terrible photo into something great with digital editing, and sometimes it will be easier, and less expensive, to just get a different image.<\/p>\n
Wrong technical specs.<\/strong> While this doesn\u2019t really relate to the content of your images, when the technical specifications are wrong, it will reflect poorly on your site. For example, photos that are too large (meaning that the resolution is too high) will take forever to load, while those that are sized incorrectly will look weird when the site goes live. Again, crop carefully, and choose the lowest resolution that still looks good to keep page loading speed fast.<\/p>\nIt is possible to design an attractive website using stock photography and your own photos. Just be aware of the common pitfalls, and do what you can to avoid them. You\u2019ll have a more successful site \u2014 and a stronger brand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all heard the clich\u00e9s about photographs: A picture is worth a thousand words, every picture tells a story, and so on and so forth. And while the words themselves aren\u2019t exactly original, the message is still important. When it comes to your website design, photos are a critical piece of the puzzle. Your words […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,59],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20915","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-photography","8":"category-web-design"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAre Your Website\u2019s Images Telling the Wrong Story?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve all heard the clich\u00e9s about photographs: A picture is worth a thousand words, every picture tells a story, and so on and so forth. And while the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/are-your-websites-images-telling-the-wrong-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are Your Website\u2019s Images Telling the Wrong Story?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We\u2019ve all heard the clich\u00e9s about photographs: A picture is worth a thousand words, every picture tells a story, and so on and so forth. 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![\"designer](\"https:\/\/crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/image1-600x586.jpg\")
Given how important photos can be to telling your brand\u2019s story, it\u2019s surprising how many companies actually get it wrong when it comes to choosing photos for their sites. Often, the poor photos are due to a desire to save money (i.e., they only use photos from free or inexpensive stock sites, or use their own photos, none of which are great quality). In other cases, the site owner simply doesn\u2019t know any better and just picks photos that he or she thinks look okay. When designing your own do-it-yourself website<\/a> for the first time, it can be a learning experience about what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n![\"photo](\"https:\/\/crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/image2-600x400.jpg\")
Generic, boring sizes.<\/strong> Not only are generic stock photos boring, but so is a design that only incorporates photos in the same sizes and shapes. You don\u2019t want to create a chaotic design with a bunch of different and random shapes and sizes, but don\u2019t be afraid to mix things up a bit and show some creativity.<\/p>\n