I've adopted a practice of having odd backgrounds for video conferences.¹ I generally find these through Google image search, but I often have a hard time findi

I've adopted a practice of having odd backgrounds for video conferences.¹ I generally find these through Google image search, but I often have a hard time finding exactly what I would like. My own use case is a bit idiosyncratic and frivolous, but I can see this being really handy for art direction needs. When I used to publish a magazine, I would often have to commission photographs for the needs of the publication. A custom photograph (in the 90s) would cost from $200–$1000² depending on the needs (and none required models). Stock photo pictures for commercial use were often comparable in cost. Being able to generate what I wanted with a tool like this would have been fantastic. I think that this can replace a lot of commercial illustration. ⸻ 1. My current work background is an enormous screen-filling eyeball. For my writing group, I try to have something that reflects the story I'm workshopping if I'm workshopping that week and something surreal otherwise. 2. My most expensive custom illustration was a title for an article about stone carver/letterer David Kindersley which I had inscribed in stone and photographed.