Of course, you should never outright copy or steal the work of other photographers; that is never in question. However, there is something to be said for turning work you know and love into something of your own, and this great video tutorial discusses the merits of doing so.
Coming to you from Chris Sale, this awesome video discusses "stealing" work. "Good artists copy; great artists steal" is a quote that has been spoken by a wide variety of well-known artists and leaders throughout history, such as Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, and Steve Jobs. The idea here is one of intent and vision. It is capturing the fact that pretty much everything has been done, and originality is not always about creating something out of thin air, but rather taking things you know and respect and shaping them into new things through your own creative process. A master artist can do this in a way that is both compelling and sufficiently different from the original so as to not seem derivative of it. It is a fantastic way to learn and to find your creative voice as well. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Sale.
