By now, our Nth week of staying at home, Zoom meetings, gatherings and virtual happy hours are just a part of daily life.
But perhaps you’re feeling a bit of wanderlust. Hey, we’re with you there.
If so, add one of these North Carolina scenes to your next meeting, all taken by News & Observer photojournalists. From the lush foliage of the North Carolina mountains to the Hatteras Lighthouse on the coast, we’ve got you covered.
Plus, we’ve included one of our favorites — a rainbow over Boylan Bridge after a storm.
Just right click and save these to your desktop.
Here are instructions from Zoom to display an image as your background. (To make sure The News & Observer isn’t in reverse, click off the “mirror setting.”)
View of downtown Raleigh from Boylan Bridge, Raleigh, NC Ethan Hyman The News & Observer
Madison County, N.C. Juli Leonard The News & Observer
Hyde County, N.C. Julia Wall The News & Observer
UNC fans celebrate North Carolina’s victory over Michigan State in the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball championship. Shawn Rocco The News & Observer
Macon County, N.C. Travis Long The News & Observer
Sen. John F. Kennedy speaks on stage in Reynolds Coliseum in 1960. News & Observer
Short Cake, an 8-year-old pony, runs in the snow in Orange County in 2015. Mark Schultz The News & Observer
The solar eclipse nears totality as seen from Cherokee, N.C. in 2017. Travis Long The News & Observer
Jackson, N.C. Travis Long The News & Observer
Carter-Finley Stadium is seen in this iPhone panorama in February 2019. The cones on the field mark an approximate location for an outdoor hockey rink. Ethan Hyman The News & Observer
A dolphin races along a commercial fishing boat off the coast of Atlantic Beach, N.C. Chuck Liddy The News & Observer
Cameron Crazies welcome Michigan during a 2013 game Cameron Indoor Stadium. Chuck Liddy The News & Observer
Grains of pollen trapped in the strands of a dandelion seed. Scott Sharpe The News & Observer
UNC fans celebrate North Carolina’s national championship win over Gonzaga in April 2017. Henry Gargan The News & Observer
North Carolina sunset The News & Observer
Members of the N.C. State pep band before a 1975 ACC Tournament game The News & Observer
A pine cone is surrounded by blooming phlox in Cary, N.C. Scott Sharpe The News & Observer
Chowan County, N.C. Julia Wall The News & Observer
Strawberry detail The News & Observer
A bald eagle before being released at Jordan Lake, N.C. Ethan Hyman The News & Observer
Cherokee County, N.C. Travis Long The News & Observer
North Carolina sunflowers The News & Observer
Fall colors in Watauga County, N.C. Scott Sharpe The News & Observer
Caswell County, N.C. Casey Toth The News & Observer
A field of sunflowers in Fair Bluff, N.C. Shawn Rocco The News & Observer
More free Zoom backgrounds
▪ The N.C. Museum of Art is sharing images of art from the museum collection, from Monet to the contemporary sculptures in Museum Park.
▪ The Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill also is sharing images from its collection.
▪ Both the City of Raleigh and the Dix Conservancy shared some photos of Dix Park on Twitter to download.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 11:12 AM.
Jessica Banov is a news editor and audience growth specialist at The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. She was part of the team from The N&O and The Charlotte Observer that was named a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Breaking News for coverage of Hurricane Helene. She also serves as The N&O’s intern program coordinator.