While I love the idea of plein air painting, I'm more of a studio painter. I do go out and take my own reference photos, and have recently learned how to use the photomerge command in Photoshop Elements (I'm using an older version, 2.0, without a lot of bells and whistles). I've always struggled with the fact that the camera is limited in what it takes in, but by taking a series of shots and then combining them into one, I can come closer to recreating the feel of the location, the scale, the light, all those elements that make a difference. The image above is the result of about 4 or 5 photos merged together.
