Thank you for that information! (I don't believe that they weren't recognized!)
I would love to paint a portrait of Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge. There were so many great shots in the film. I just haven't figured out how to get the film to sit still long enough to get it done! Pauses only last so long.
Not sure of copyrights in this scenario, since it would actually be from the film and not a photograph, and I bought the movie. It would be 'sorta' orginal. I suppose the copyright at the beginning of the movie would cover even that kind of duplication, but as you pointed out, would anyone really go to the trouble if you only do it for a portfolio.
I have been asked to do the pictures for a children's book that has a castle in it and I'm faced with the same problem. I don't have a picture of a castle; there aren't any in my area, and they couldn't be reproduced even if there were any. How do you handle this? I've seen lots of portraits with recognizable buildings in background, surely the portrait artists are going to every building to get permission to paint them. What are the rules here? As a photographer, I've always been confused by the rules, supposedly if I photograph anyone, I need permission from that person, and yet famous people are photographed all the time without their permission. Is this the rule that says, anything that is done in public is OK to reproduce? Sorry for all the questions, just want to keep it legal.
Dj