On stock photo sites, many photographers and illustrators try to do the slide design work for you and create ready-made compositions. Often, they are not very good.
The one below for example. It requires a lot of technical skill to make it, but somehow the colors and the look and feel do not seem right. Also, the concept is a bit forced. You could equally show the 2 logos of the joint venture partners on the last slide and you convey the same message.
And worst of all: because these type of images have been over-used so much in bad presentations, putting one up will immediately make your audience assume that this presentation will fit into that category.
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Rather than end it all after seeing your post, I pondered why I had used it. Yes it is corny, but it was right for the context.
I used it at the beginning of the second session of a team development and innovation programme. The first session had used a psychometric profile to help the team members understand each other. Each different profile had a colour associated with it. The concept of working with differences and the strength in diversity was key. The second session was to lead this group into a team-based approach to idea generation and innovation. The colours of the puzzle pieces in the image and the idea of working together to reach the 'idea' goal was clear to the course participants and turned into a useful discussion. It worked.
However, this was a training session. Would I use it in a presentation? Highly unlikely.
I try to find images to fit the concept,the audience and the purpose too. A training session for junior managers in Singapore, a report to the CEO of a multinational in the US, a conference presentation to corporate trainers in Malaysia. Do I want the image to stimulate, to shock, to amuse or even to just make them feel comfortable?
I think they'll be plunging to a firey death on the way to "success"....