How to add an image to a JPanel?

Here's how I do it (with a little more info on how to load an image):

import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

public class ImagePanel extends JPanel{

    private BufferedImage image;

    public ImagePanel() {
       try {                
          image = ImageIO.read(new File("image name and path"));
       } catch (IOException ex) {
            // handle exception...
       }
    }

    @Override
    protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        super.paintComponent(g);
        g.drawImage(image, 0, 0, this); // see javadoc for more info on the parameters            
    }

}

Fred Haslam's way works fine. I had trouble with the filepath though, since I want to reference an image within my jar. To do this, I used:

BufferedImage wPic = ImageIO.read(this.getClass().getResource("snow.png"));
JLabel wIcon = new JLabel(new ImageIcon(wPic));

Since I only have a finite number (about 10) images that I need to load using this method, it works quite well. It gets file without having to have the correct relative filepath.

If you are using JPanels, then are probably working with Swing. Try this:

BufferedImage myPicture = ImageIO.read(new File("path-to-file"));
JLabel picLabel = new JLabel(new ImageIcon(myPicture));
add(picLabel);

The image is now a swing component. It becomes subject to layout conditions like any other component.