This is an interesting book on the subject of Vermeer's camera:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vermeers-Camera-Uncovering-Behind-Masterpieces/dp/0192803026

David Hockney wrote a book about artists using various optical devices in the 
quest for more lifelike representation. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Knowledge-Rediscovering-techniques-Masters/dp/0500286388/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1A2PA3BAYSY40VJCTYMZ

I don't believe it was ever a secret, as the blurb seems to suggest. This 
well-known woodcut by Durer suggests differently, and also shows that plus ça 
change plus c'est la même chose.

http://www.howtodrawjourney.com/images/durer-draughtsmans-net.jpg

Impressionism was an attempt to capture a fleeting moment, so it wasn't limited 
to photography. It was a reaction against studio painting, among other things, 
and they took their easels and brushes out into the open air. Indeed, Constable 
was an important influence on the Impressionists because he also painted en 
plein air, as well as sketching and drawing for the studio. He did try to 
capture English skies as they often are, he didn't just make them up and 
Photoshop them in later. One of the joys of October is that we get such 
magnificent skies here.

B

> On 27 Sep 2015, at 16:12, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Well seen, Bob. A larger view of "The Lock" for comparison:
> http://uploads7.wikiart.org/images/john-constable/the-lock-1824.jpg
> 
> Interesting question, Frank. It is no secret that many painters use
> photographs of scenes, rather than the scenes themselves as their
> subject matter or inspiration. Some may take their own photographs,
> but view them only as an intermediary to the finished work: the
> painting. I have no proof, but I think that most painters would value
> the painterly skills over than those of a photographer. (I happen to
> agree in some ways, but it is an apples to oranges comparison.)
> 
> I have always found the discussion of whether Vermeer used a camera
> obscura in the studio to be an interesting one. This article is a nice
> summary of the subject:
> http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/portrait04/crystal/vermeer.htm
> 
> Both a painter and a photographer need to have an "eye" obviously. The
> photographer often also has the burden of capturing a fleeting moment
> before it is gone (light or event, as in The Decisive Moment) while
> the painter can take as long as he likes to finish his/her canvas.
> Both have technical components (mixing of colors, applications of
> layer/textures for the painter and proper exposure/DOF/shutter speed
> to capture the scene, plus post-processing skills for the
> photographer).
> 
> Then there is the question of whether one becomes a master at anything
> without giving it their full and undivided attention. This would be a
> fun one to discuss around a large table while quaffing ales.
> 
>> On Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 9:46 AM, Knarf <knarftheria...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Amazing.
>> 
>> Thanks for posting.
>> 
>> On another, related note, I've always wondered Constable (or any master) 
>> would  have been able to do with a camera. As a painter he has the huge 
>> advantage of being able to amalgamate various elements from numerous 
>> studies, or he could even just make stuff up (like that dramatic sky).
>> 
>> However I can't but imagine that he'd have been a magician with a camera; a 
>> great eye is a great eye...
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> 
>> frank
>> 
>>> On 27 September, 2015 3:49:04 AM EDT, Bob W-PDML <p...@web-options.com> 
>>> wrote:
>>> Look how the position of the man on the ladder imitates the position of
>>> the figure in this picture:
>>> 
>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34372281
>>> 
>>> B
>> 
>> 
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