Portfolio website - Do you prefer a dark or light background for viewing photos?

achtungbarry

Hi all,

I've been tinkering around with my portfolio site for the last couple of hours and am completely undecided on whether to go for a light or dark background. I know a lot of people like viewing photos on a dark grey or black background but I found that it made the website very oppresive feeling and it meant that the text was white on adark background which is not ideal.

So how do you prefer viewing photos: dark or bright background?

What do you use yourself?

And what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of each?

I've switched the site to a bright grey graduated background to see if it grows on me.

http://www.barryocarrollphotography.com/

Any feedback and suggestions welcome by the way.

shemwhistler

Personally I prefer a darker background to most sites, as I find it less wearing on the eye. I also seem to think I've read some accessibility/usability stuff that it causes less problems for some folks.

I also think that it frames the image better than a lighter colour does. Which is a similar reason to why I prefer a black iPhone to a white one as I find it better on my eye for video playback.

End then if you want to consider the environment then a darker background uses less power than a whiter one. There was a study floating around a while back about how much power could be used if google changes their homescreen background from white to black.

OK, I'm violently off topic now, byeee.

squareballoon

I like the colour you've used. Especially for the kind of work you're doing. I like black backgrounds for mainly black and white work and prefer white for colour but the off white you're using is kind on the eye.

achtungbarry

Thanks for the opinions and feedback so far.

What do others who have portfolio sites use as a background?

shemwhistler

I know that squarespace is reasonably 'trendy' here's a page on their site that links to example photography sites.

http://www.squarespace.com/examples/category/photography

Might be of some inspiration.

Gallant_JJ

Personally I just prefer plain white. I feel it just looks crisper and cleaner. For example:

http://themeforest.net/item/photo-nexus-wordpress-gallery-2-in-1/38530

I really like the White version of that.

SemperFidelis

I've been trying to decide the same thing, but I like your site as it is. I think black backgrounds suit pictures with a lot of detail in the shadows whereas white would suit pics with detail in the highlights, grey is probably a good compromise.

ditpaintball

I like a darker background my self as i think *most* images stand better against it. But adjust it to suite your work. If you shoot mostly high key stuff, then a light background would suit.

tricky D

According to a guide on what photo industry buyers prefer, black works best followed by white, then dark grey. Avoid textures and colours.

Nebezpeci Mys

To me pictures on dark backgrounds appear to be more lively....and I have to agree with the 'no patterns' advice...

Deliverance XXV

For me it can work on either black or white backgrounds. For my site I had the images on a white background on a black background which provides the contrast.
I used the white background initially for the text as dark coloured text on a bright background opposed to the opposite would be much easier on the user.

achtungbarry

Thanks again for your opinions. Last night I tried the site in black and I have to say it just did not work. The images can look great on black but the the text became very difficult and uncomfortable to read. A dark grey background improved the situation but I wanted to avoid the "dullness" of grey.

In the end I managed a compromise. The site is now on an off white background but slideshows (with no text) play on a black bacground and any photo when clicked will darken the background.

Deliverance XXV, I like your layout and colour scheme a lot. I was thinking of a dark mat or frame around the site too. Will give it a go and see how it looks.

Has anyone else got examples of their own sites?

SemperFidelis

My site is here, its extremey white but I'm still working on it. It's gone through quite a few style changes already.

Kbeg3

On my recent redesign I chose a white background, it looked the best. My site is here