"Stock photo" is what creative professionals call the photographs they use in their designs. A stock photo isn't shot for a particular ad or design - it's purchased from an existing collection because it happens to suit the designer's need. Hemera offers professional stock photos on AbleStock.com, Image Express, and packages other stock photos in The Big Box of Art family of products.
AbleStock.com has all the stock you need, from the bread-and-butter images most designers rely on, to textured background images shot in natural light, to highly conceptual art and composites.
an existing photo for which the photographer owns copyright
a pre-existing photo, as opposed to a custom photo created on assignment for a particular client
A high-quality digital photograph created by professional content providers. PhotoDraw includes hundreds of stock photos on CD that you can use in your creative designs.
Photos which may be used to aid in design and publishing. Stock photos may be royalty-free or rights managed, each with their own requirements.
Photograph in a collection maintained for commercial purposes.