The Frankenstein Photo
Some painters can paint from their head. I can't do that. I'm one of those painters who has to see what they paint. Where I like to paint from life, that is not always possible, especially if the subject is perishable: flowers, fruit, etc. It can take me sometimes weeks to finish a painting, long after the subjects have festered in a giant mess.
Some may think that painting from a photo is a handicap. However, I find that it gives me a slight advantage in that I can play with the composition until I find something I like. Sometimes that composition is not just from one photo.
Take the photo below, which is the reference photo from my latest painting. It is actually from three photos. In one photo, I liked the flower arrangement. In another, I liked the pitcher and bowl. In yet another, I liked the table and reflection. I Frankensteined them all together into one photo. This photo never actually existed in real life. Also, it does not have to be perfect, because it is just a reference photo for my painting and will be tossed when the painting is done. You can see all the seams where I put them together.
The artistic process does not start when I put my brush to the canvas. It starts well before -- first, when I snap the photos, second when I process them, third, when the composition comes to life. I bet Rembrandt never had an advantage like that.