Even if you already have a ton of Photoshop or Lightroom presets that you love to use, getting some free Photoshop overlays will help you those minor tweaks, or even major changes, that your photo might need once you’re working in post. Even if you’re a pro who’s mastered tons of Photoshop tutorials, overlays can be a useful shortcut and can even help you achieve looks that would be really difficult to create otherwise.įree photo overlays can help you transform the look of an otherwise bland image, bring in elements of weather and nature that you can’t control for on shoot day, make it look like you used a different lens, and do tons of other useful things in your editing session that your client is sure to love!ĭelivering images that are as close as possible to what your client envisioned is a great way to land more photography gigs and make money as a photographer. That unexpected element is one of the things that makes photography so interesting and fun, but it can also be really challenging if you have a specific look in mind. That’s why having a solid arsenal of Photoshop overlays in your toolbox can be a total game changer. This might not be in a header it might be in an image aside or as part of an article.It doesn’t take many photo shoots before you realize that while there’s a lot you can do to prepare for your gig as a photographer, there are always going to be those unexpected surprises and things that you just can’t control on the day of your shoot.

Using an image tag and a section background.Īgain, this is your best option if your image isn't just decorative.

Alternatively, if your image isn't just decorative and you want people to notice it, you should use an image tag with an alt description for accessibility. If you're only after a pretty background, you can go about this any way you like. Which method you choose will depends on the purpose of the image. These are the two methods I find easiest to remember. There are, of course, many ways you can get to your end goal here.

In this post, I'll be showing you a couple of ways to code them up. Overlays vastly improve readability, along with making your design much more sleek. Yet, it's not very accessible for people with reduced vision, and it's also really busy to look at. But only just, and it's because I've used H1 and H2 headers. Why should you add an overlay to your image?Īn overlay on an image not only improves aesthetics but it makes text much more readable.Ĭonsider this hero header I've mocked up. Using an image with a dark overlay is one of the quickest ways to make a beautiful hero header for a blog, landing page or portfolio.

Color overlays