Stock photos are available for purchase online, but you can make your ebook stand out if the cover is made with original photos. Ask a friend or hire a professional photographer to help you take high-quality photos. Taking photos yourself gives you control over the lighting, environment and object of your ebook cover. You will also have copyright of your photos and won't have to jump through legal hoops to get permission to use the pictures. If you hired a photographer to take the photos, ask if it's possible for you to retain ownership of the pictures while giving the photographer free license to use them in his portfolio.
If you are comfortable with a program, stick with it. You can edit photos in Adobe Photoshop, Print Shop or even Microsoft Word. If you choose a program you are familiar with, you will spend more time focusing on your cover than trying to learn a new program. You will know how to add fonts, change the shading of your picture or do anything else you need to do to create the look you want. When you are finished, print your cover to PDF format so that you can attach it to your ebook.
Your ebook cover should look clean and professional. Readers should not have to hunt for your title in a maze of pictures. Choose just one or two pictures to include on the cover. Any more can be overwhelming and discourage readers from purchasing the ebook. Avoid including long text descriptions that detract from the title or pictures. A reader's eye should be able to move easily over the cover, taking in the pictures, title and other information almost instantly.
Readers should be able to tell with a single glance what your ebook is about. Center your title at the top and format it in a font that is large enough to catch readers' attention. Your title should be the focus of your cover. The pictures are background. Add a subtitle if you need more description to help your readers understand what your ebook is about. The cover should also include your name. You can also include a quote if it doesn't detract from the page, but be careful about adding too much text or your readers won't feel a need to look inside.