It's not easy to find photographs that work well as Zoom backgrounds. After all, the majority of photographs have centers of interest smack dab in the center where your own talking head needs to be!

I thought it would be fun to collect a few Zoom backgrounds from the Library of Congress, but it's not as if one can search on empty center or missing a focal point! I figured a variety of general landscapes might work, as well as certain photos of Library of Congress buildings (both interior and exterior), gardens, and seasonal shots. I kind of like the idea of looking for photographs from your own state or city, too, to give your Zoom box a little local flair.

It's clear from the beginnings of this album that I have a preference for photographs from the Highsmith (Carol M.) Archive, particularly for their bold colors. If you go to the Highsmith collection at the Library, you can limit your searches to that collection only. You could also try browsing the Free to Use and Reuse Sets at the Library. 

Please add more photos and enjoy a fresh Zoom experience!

Technical note:

It's super easy to add a background while you're in a Zoom meeting. Click on the ^ symbol to the right of the video icon and select video settings. Click Virtual Background and select the new background you'd like to use. (You'll need to add a photo to the virtual backgrounds box first, but all you have to do is click on the + sign and choose it from your computer.) Of course, there are many platforms out there, plus ios and android, plus many devices. I think this help page from Zoom covers just about everything you're likely to use, although it's kind of overkill: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/210707503-Virtual-Background

  Zoom    photography    online learning