The Best Intro Photos On Squidoo (and how to make YOURS awesome)

We LOVE seeing beautiful photographs and images on lenses. It's actually super simple to achieve if you know where to look. Here are some tips and tricks that we hope you'll find useful:

1) This idea is really fun, but takes time. It's worth it if you have hundreds of lenses -- or plan to get there soon. Snap photos everywhere! Now that most of us have some kind of smartphone or another (iPhone, Droid, whatever), we have cameras in our back pockets practically everywhere we go! When you see something striking, snap a photo of it. Could just be a picture of a sign, or cool typography, or the people and animals and food and items around you in your everyday life. Keep a running folder of photos and next time you make a lens, take a look at what you've got. You might just be surprised to find something related to your topic of interest.

2) And best, if you use your own photo, you never have to worry about copyright issues!

3) We're in love with INSTAGRAM! If you have an iPhone, get this free app. You can easily add gorgeous filters to the photos you take, rendering them far more interesting and arresting -- and perfect for your Intro image. The photo in this module is from Instagram's demo.

4) Get in the habit of adding a caption to every image you use in your Intro. Even if you took the photo yourself, why not an a caption telling your reader where you took it, and what it's of? If you're using someone else's photo, this habit helps you remember to share credit.

5) One of the most important things you can know is how to use Creative Commons photos on Flickr. This lens: Using Creative Commons Images from Flickr by Squidoo Community Organizer Kimberly Dawn Wells is an excellent resource and will answer all your questions about using Creative Commons photos.

6) Use Search by Creative Commons to find photos really fast! Don't forget to give credit.

7) Go BIG! Use high quality photo and images, and don't resize them down. A big, beautiful, crystal clear photo will make a big first impression on your lens. Photos and images should also be large enough to fill the allocated space on the intro.

8) Be sure to properly cite any photos or images that you do use with a link back to the photo or image. Oh wait, did we say that already?

9) If you like to go buy stock photography to add on your lens, try to pick unique, creative images. If we see one more canned picture of a guy in a business suit or a girl sitting with her laptop we just might scream. There are some great stock photos out there if you get creative in your hunt and want to spend a few bucks finding the perfect match for your lens.

10) Ask your friends and family if they have any pictures on a topic you might be writing about. We're constantly surprised by what you can find right within the family.

11) If you're using your own photos, and you have a little Photoshop knowhow, try out some creative cropping on your pictures. Cropped faces and unique composition really helps your intro photo go from good to great.

12) Intro images can be just that... images. We prefer photos, just because it feels more authentic, but there's no reason you can't get clever and design your own intro logo if you're handy in Photoshop. Just, please, keep it simple and slick. Stay away from lame.

13) If your lens is about a recipe you've made, or a quilt you're making, or about your ferret or your computer or your car or your favorite bubble bath... Take a photo of it! (Just remember to not to go too steamy with that bubble bath picture...!)