FAQ

Why is it a bad idea put a large picture at the top of my content? 

Above the fold is a concept that comes from the printed newspaper where the prime real estate is on the front page, above the place where the paper is folded in half.  If the picture covers the whole upper area of the page, that's all people will see unless they scroll down.  Based on many studies, people click through web pages without ever scrolling down.  Get the best quality information above the fold that you want your audience to see, if they enjoy your site and want to see more they will scroll.  Also remember, less is more. Don't be tempted to cram everything above the fold. Good use of whitespace and imagery encourages exploration.

Here's a great example of what we mean:

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/dchf/donors/presidents_society/index.cfm

You can see how much better it looks with a smaller picture and the text wrapped around it!

...still not convinced? Look here for an alternate version.