"Hidden Away" 8x7 Acrylic on linen.

I think there is something to be said for turning off the monitor and relying on your own 'voice.' The other day was Cold! 13 degrees cold. Here it is January and I would rather be outside painting. Instead I found some photos about eight years ago from a trip to Grand Lake Colorado and found one of a spring runoff . I used the monitor just to lay out a basic composition and some details and then turned it off. This kept me from stifling creativity by relying on the cameras recording. I found myself working different from the photo.
  The photo looks rather static. You know the comment, 'the picture doesn't do it justice' is certainly true. It does record a lot of detail without much mystery i.e. lost edges, or the way the eye sees flowing water.
I really would rather use photos for reference detail, but rely on actual presence for painting. How about You!