When you are at work painting from a photograph it is hard to remember why you are doing this in the first place. Don't forget that a painting was never intended to be a photograph, they are two completely separate and distinct things.
Most of the comments or what you hear today with regard to realism is "wow, it looks so much like a photograph!" We've all heard it, but it is actually quite annoying.
Have you ever heard anyone look at a sunset and say "wow, that sunset is just like a photograph..."