Photographs in Web Layouts

1. Original digital images are preferred to scans of printed photographs. If you have images professionally photographed, please ask the photographer to provide digital copies.

2. Please submit digital photographs in original format. Please do not crop, resize or otherwise alter the original image.

3. Provide consistent images:

• Avoid mixing horizontal layouts and vertical layouts together on the same page. Horizontal (landscape) looks better than vertical (portrait) on a computer monitor.
• Use a consistent background. Gray or white backgrounds work best for web design. If you prefer dramatic black backgrounds and shadows, be sure all your images are photographed in this manner and that the web site is designed around dramatic imagery.
• The object should be arranged to fill the frame in an interesting way. For instance, if photographing a long thin object, place the object so it will fill the frame at an interesting angle, rather than along the vertical or horizontal axis.
• Leave lots of white space around the image so the web designer has lots of elbow-room for cropping and sizing.

4. Digital images may be emailed as attachments. Do not place the images in the body of the email. Please email no more than four or five large images.

5. NEVER leave blank spaces in the file name when naming photographs.

6. Use consistent naming conventions when naming images. Names that can be easily associated with accompanying text work best. For instance, the name “object_a.jpg” is preferable to “P 248.jpg”.

7. Consider using stock photography if a professional photographer is not within your budget. With the advent of digital photography the cost of high-quality stock photography is easily within anyone's budget. I will be happy to recommend providers.