I came across the story of the Lisa Congdon vs Cody Foster copyright dispute recently, including this article by Brian Sherwin (the comments are very heated). If you want a good synopsis, Katherine Tyrrell has a great article on it here: Copyright for Artists – Congdon vs Cody Foster.
While I don’t support Cody Foster at all, this is a great example of how using other people’s photos as references can be problematic. While I can’t prove that Congdon copied the photos, it does appear that way on the surface. I use photo references a lot in my artwork, because of my schedule and because it makes artmaking a lot more feasible with a two year old. However, I have made a commitment to use only my own photos, unless I have written permission.
Tree Silhouette (10-13). Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
When I was younger, I would use photos from books, magazines or wherever. As I became more educated, this began to bother me and I made a commitment to generate my own reference material. This may limit my subject matter, but I feel so much more authentic as an artist. I also consider photography to be an art form all its own, and I’ve improved quite a bit over the years.
Lake Sunset (10-13). Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
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