On the modern web there are numerous techniques that can be used to create interesting interactions, but the simplest and most elegant is usually CSS, and specifically the additions that came with CSS3.
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2015/02/3-cool-css3-image-hover-effects/
http://tympanus.net/Tutorials/OriginalHoverEffects/index10.html
<a href="http://codepen.io/ianfarb/pen/ikeAf" target="_blank">http://codepen.io/ianfarb/pen/ikeAf
</a>
http://cssdeck.com/labs/glowing-circle
http://callmenick.com/_development/image-overlay-hover-effects/
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2015/02/3-cool-css3-image-hover-effects/
http://tympanus.net/Tutorials/OriginalHoverEffects/index10.html
<a href="http://codepen.io/ianfarb/pen/ikeAf" target="_blank">http://codepen.io/ianfarb/pen/ikeAf
</a>
http://cssdeck.com/labs/glowing-circle
http://callmenick.com/_development/image-overlay-hover-effects/