Pictures in web design are one of the most important visual factors. Even though information is Good and Good for Google, pictures really make a website. If you are looking for pictures to go in your banner or within the pages the first places you can look to are the free stock photos online. These sites literally have 1000′s of royalty free photos you can purchase direct from the photographer for your site.
You will see that most picture online come from such websites, perhaps the most popular being i stock photo. You can literally find photos on just about anything to suit your needs. You have the option to go by theme or colour in order to find the perfect photo. You can even use it to find icons and remember you don’t have to use the whole picture. Some clever photoshop work and a bit of shadow and you literally will have your own bespoke photo jumping out of the page.
If you want to freshen up your website a simple banner change can work wonders. Test out some variation by taking a screen shot of your website and try adding some different photos. Two essential programmes you will need are photo shop and fireworks. It is a good idea to have a play on these to gain a basic understanding, you will find it so useful as you go forward in your web design process.
If you are going down the route of taking your own photos, make sure you are using a good camera and if you are doing close up you will need a macro lens. You will find that products look more professional with a white background and a simple shadow. If you learn these two techniques it will really help, however you can pay someone to edit the photos for you for no more than a pound per photo that can save you a lot of time in the long run.