Questions about photos

I have had inquiries about the type of photos that can be used for a portrait. I prefer to take them myself or have my assistant take them. But if you have a particular photo you would like to use, I can usually make a portrait from it. It needs to be high enough resolution to see all the detail of the face and hands. The background can be changed. Here I had to take the photo where the light was best and there is a car in the background. I knew I wanted a dark fall background to accent the brown suit and focus on the child. I kept the dramatic lighting and lightened some of the shadows of the face. I like to have several photos as well as close-ups to go by as I use touches of each to develop the features. The portrait is not an exact replica of the photo although it seems photographic. The painting is completely original from the drawing to the many layers needed to achieve the likeness and depth.
I do need the photographer's permission in order to paint from a photo took by a professional photographer. There is a copyright on the image.