Photo Guidlines
When selecting or preparing photos for a website, follow these best practices to ensure high quality, fast loading times, and a professional look:
1. Quality & Resolution
- Use high-resolution images (at least 1500px wide for hero sections).
- Avoid pixelation or blurry images—use professional or stock photography.
- Maintain a balance between quality and file size for faster loading.
2. File Formats & Optimization
- JPEG: Best for standard images (compressed yet high quality).
- PNG: Use for images that require transparency.
- WebP: Best for performance (high quality with lower file size).
- Optimize images using tools like TinyPNG, ImageOptim, or Smush (WordPress plugin).
3. Size & Compression
- Keep file sizes under 300KB for faster loading.
- Use responsive images (multiple sizes for different screens).
- Utilize lazy loading to improve page speed.
4. Consistency in Style
- Stick to a uniform color palette that matches your branding.
- Maintain consistent lighting, angles, and compositions.
- Use the same filters or editing style across all images.
5. Proper Cropping & Aspect Ratios
- Hero Images: 16:9 (1920×1080 or higher)
- Thumbnails: Square (1:1) or rectangular (4:3)
- Banners: Wide (21:9 or 16:9)
- Ensure faces, products, or focal points are centered and not cut off.
6. Use Authentic & Engaging Images
- Prefer real, high-quality photos over generic stock images.
- If using stock images, pick natural, realistic-looking ones.
- Use professional photos for team members, products, and branding.
7. SEO & Accessibility
- Add descriptive alt text for SEO and accessibility.
- Use descriptive file names (e.g.,
blue-running-shoes.jpginstead ofIMG1234.jpg). - Ensure images are mobile-friendly and adapt to different screen sizes.