Original source photos
While I like to build simple designs, I still try to add a good-looking header image that can add an artistic touch to the design. In most cases, I take a couple of photos from my own photo collection and edit them into something that gives some pretty colors to the look. The edited images have become widely used, even though they are supposed to be sample images rather than default ones. They are added to give users an idea of what a header image can look like - but I usually recommend people to replace the sample images with something of their own. It is a simple way to make the design a bit more unique and personal.
Recently I have got several questions about these images. A few template users were curious about how I create them, and I have promised to document each step when I make the next header. But before I do that, I want to give you an idea of how the original images can look. Can you connect the images with their respective templates?
As I have written earlier, each photo has a special meaning to me. It is not just random photos, there is an idea behind each picture. But what those ideas are will remain my own little secret…
Comments
Comment from Matt Bercon
Time: June 11, 2007, 12:43 pm
I can tell that the houses in winter scene is from andreas01 and the candle is from Daleri theme.
I like your themes by the way!
Comment from Tomek
Time: June 11, 2007, 2:05 pm
Great work and brilliand ideas Andreas I can see that the number 4 is on the current template on the blog. If i don't see this i will not belive that this is made from a photo (before this post i think it was made in photoshop from some gif file). Greetings
Comment from Praca
Time: June 11, 2007, 4:02 pm
:) wow hehe really nice photos, i'm really interested how you'll connect them with their templates looking forward to seeing them.
Comment from Libri e film
Time: June 11, 2007, 4:19 pm
These all are very nice pictures, each one with a "touch of magic".
I cannot understand what the last one shows.
Comment from Andreas
Time: June 11, 2007, 5:50 pm
The last picture shows a close-up of a small glass sphere with bubbles of air inside it. Through the sphere you can see an open window, the park view outside it and a ray of light from the midnight sun that we see in northern Sweden every summer. Rotate the image 180 degrees to get a better idea about the view (which was the view outside my music studio when I lived in Porjus a few years ago).
Comment from CoolGoose
Time: June 11, 2007, 5:56 pm
Uuuu, aaaaa, oooo :D
Great pictures dude :D.
Comment from Bürokratieabbau.eu
Time: June 12, 2007, 2:20 am
Wow, I don't thought, that especially the third picture is so dark. I've seen it so often :-) - I thought this must be the original.
Comment from Donnie
Time: June 12, 2007, 5:43 am
Artist Extrordinaire!
Comment from cPanel Hosting
Time: June 12, 2007, 7:55 am
Andreas, I got all the themes….
Really you have used these images very attractively
*) Burning candle was beautifully composed at Daleri Theme
*) A a simple snap of flower was used beautifully at Andreas00 theme…
also *) a different emotion at night them at Andreas……
I m not an artist so can't imagine what these snaps tell but the way they are photographed is excellent.
Comment from ShopMania
Time: June 12, 2007, 11:16 am
Very good idea Andreas! I can't wait for more details to personalize my page
Comment from cPanel Hosting
Time: June 12, 2007, 1:34 pm
Great work…. Really you have used all your snaps very intelligently, also i was impressed by the way you used your flower snap in your header.
Comment from Andreas
Time: June 13, 2007, 3:46 am
The posted images are not the "original" files in the true meaning of the word since they are smaller than the original source photos. But the images have not been edited in any other way than the reduced size.
Adding a custom header to the Daleri Selection theme for WordPress (like I have on this site) will need some modification of the theme code. If you want to do it yourself, look at the source of my site and steal any code you may need. But don't take my header image itself, make your own instead!
I'll write a guide on how to add a custom header with the effect I have used (the shadows) as soon as I find the inspiration for it. And that guide will contain the original image in its full size through all stages of the editing to make it easy to add your own touch to it.
(And the answer: The photos in the post are used for the following designs: Daleri Dark, andreas00, andreas01, andreasviklund.com and andreas02.)
Comment from John
Time: June 13, 2007, 8:37 am
I like very much the statue from the third picture! I recognized immediately
And in the second one is your house? :D
Comment from aBajt
Time: June 13, 2007, 10:22 pm
Hello!
Yhis is wery fun photos
I like milles_hand-of-god_porjus is the best pictures.
Thanks for this.
Best regards
Comment from nitro
Time: June 13, 2007, 11:24 pm
the 3rd image looks like a pic from a webcam. every day in winter we check in our weatherforum this webcam to see how winter can be ;)
Comment from Adrian
Time: June 14, 2007, 11:59 am
Amazing photos, Greetings :)
Comment from Digital Street
Time: June 14, 2007, 12:56 pm
I would like to know how you make your headers too.
Wait your guide soon :)
By the way, nice templates.
Comment from Design
Time: June 15, 2007, 6:40 pm
Cool images!
Comment from marius
Time: June 15, 2007, 10:24 pm
maybe you will post that guide sometime
will help many people including myself
Comment from Solomon
Time: June 15, 2007, 11:36 pm
Cool pictures!
Comment from Kaps
Time: June 16, 2007, 9:14 am
You have shown how the simplicity can be attractive with little thought and imagination. Images like above are good to be used as header.
Comment from Kaps
Time: June 16, 2007, 9:18 am
These images are really good for header.
Comment from Dave Butler
Time: June 17, 2007, 5:58 am
Andreas, Your stock header of the winter street scene is one of the best on any theme (IMHO). I like to use fotolia.com and istockphoto.com for finding new header images if I do not have anything handy that I have taken. Fotolia has several free images everyday that you can download for those of us looking to save a few dollars. Istockphoto.com has one free image per week but you can get some good photos for only one dollar. I think adding your own header image is VERY important since it creates a valuable first impression to your audience.
Comment from Kioly
Time: June 17, 2007, 12:47 pm
I liked last figure. A class photo and the photographer which it has made. Excellent variants for a head blogs.
Comment from Totti
Time: June 18, 2007, 1:46 am
Sometimes its really hard to find a good header graphic, i am not so fit in the work with photoshop, so most times i´m using normal photos… i like these pictures…
Comment from Mats
Time: June 18, 2007, 8:06 pm
Does anyone have any suggestion for a great Photoshop tutorial site? I have some photos that I want Photoshopped and I'm not too god at it.
Comment from Lars Hessner
Time: June 19, 2007, 1:34 am
Yes, good header graphics can be hard to find. I usually buy pictures cheap from iStockPhoto and use them as header graphics. Sometimes I do some basic Photoshop stuff to hot them up a little.
Comment from AUDI
Time: June 20, 2007, 1:06 am
I like the last photo with the glass sphere, this is really modern art!
Maybe i can use something similar for my high-tec blog…
Comment from Respiro Media
Time: June 21, 2007, 10:01 pm
My absolute favorite is the nr.5 header.
Comment from FreddyAlfy
Time: June 21, 2007, 10:17 pm
These all are very nice pictures!
Comment from Dota
Time: June 22, 2007, 2:51 am
The pictures looks great for wordpress headers. They should be a bit more wide though.
Comment from Lars-Kevin
Time: June 22, 2007, 4:19 pm
Very nice. I would like to see more. What about some templates of the summer time?
Comment from Jenny
Time: June 22, 2007, 4:42 pm
Nice pictures! I especially like the picture with the house on it. It looks a little bit scary!
Comment from Alex
Time: June 22, 2007, 4:52 pm
The third picture looks pretty scary!!!
Comment from Donal
Time: June 11, 2007, 12:04 pm
Looking forward to seeing how you do those headers. I'd like to make a fancy header with my own photos.