References - Yes, you are allowed to use pictures

Part of directing is communicating your vision to those who are going to help bring it to life. Any production of any size is going to require that you work with others to pull it off so you need to develop a way of getting those images out of your head into a format that others can understand.

When communicating camera angles and screen composition, we use storyboards. When we need to communicate look and style and 'feel', we use something called references.

"Hey, remember in 'The Godfather' when Sonny got shot..." is a reference. "Hey, remember that outfit Heidi Klum wore to the Emmy's" is a reference. Any time you refer to something else, it is called a reference (hence the name). One of the best ways to communicate exactly what you want is to show someone an example of what you mean. References are invaluable.

In film production, we use them all of the time. When you have certain look in mind for an apartment scene you are shooting, do you want the set to look futuristic, or high society, or middle of the road, or shabby chic? Clip pictures from magazines. When you have a certain look in mind for a characters outfit, pull some pictures off of the internet of someone else wearing a similar outfit so you can show it to your stylist. When you have a certain kind of furniture in mind for a backyard scene, clip some pictures from a catalog.

Film is a visual medium and not everyone is going to understand your verbal description. Good directors have massive collections of magazines, books, catalogs, and clippings. Good directors are constantly taking notes on things they saw and color combinations and textures. Good directors are creating an entire world from scratch.

You need to have a clear idea of what YOU want, or someone else will make the decision for you.