Best place for stock royalty free photos?

I am looking for a place to get royalty free images because I am looking for backgrounds to use for certain photos

Thank you!

Would you give away your images for free?

It's actually bad karma to talk about royalty free stock photos on this forum
Most of the amateurs don't care but most of the pros do, and I can see why even if I'm not a pro.
You can search on Google, you'll find plenty. Shutterstock or iStock are well known.

Krapo wrote in post #5110851
It's actually bad karma to talk about royalty free stock photos on this forum
Most of the amateurs don't care but most of the pros do, and I can see why even if I'm not a pro.
You can search on Google, you'll find plenty. Shutterstock or iStock are well known.

Oh sorry I didn't know. The reason is I assumed that it's okay since it's the photographer himself who submits them there with his permission. But I'm starting to feel like those places just steal images? Unless they are stolen images then I wouldn't be using them.

No no, they don't steal images, don't worry. The only reason why it's such a polemical subject here is the price at which they sell their images.
From the point of view of the graphic design industry, it's good in the short term because the supply of stock photos has just become cheaper than ever.
However, one can wonder how this will end up when a photographer could have earned $200 for a picture 5 years ago and he now gets $0.5... Ok, I'm voluntarily exagerating so that you get the point. BUt basically, that's it.
A new opportunity for many amateurs to make a few bucks, and a major disruption for professionals who are now facing massive competition and a terrible price war.

It's an interesting debate

So by that reasoning, which I have compassion for, means an artist, by any level of skill, cannot share his or her work, with little or no profit? Such a person put himself off to be scorned by other artists?
I think such "disruption" does raise the bar for photographers/artists. Even though I think that, I am torn... and so all this is perhaps babel!
While I respect the damage to the cheapening of the essence of art itself, where the perception of art, by the masses becomes, "it is cheap", "free flowing", "easily accessed" and somehow reduced in importance-- turns our thoughts of "art" into, well, just clip art I guess-- I would be more inclined to point the finger at advertising and other mass produced images that are meant to sell or be fleeting. Mind you, I have seen some great product photos and videos in my life.
I think true art mustered up by artists, like people on this forum, can be found by other like minded who are willing, and in preference to pay a fair and respectable price for art work... or at least until further downfall of civilization.

Don't hurt me

Oh, bad karma already... the dog farted! Whew!:o