Charles Sheeler's cross media creation of art is the theme of the current exhibition at National Gallery of Art through August. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/sheelerinfo.shtm

Stieglitz named Sheeler, Morton Schamberg and Paul Strand as the "Trinity of Photography"

Sheeler saw photographs as preparatory drawings to help study and plan out composition for his paintings.

As a reference to Sheeler's cross media creation, Ben Shahn's use of photography both as inspirations for and studies for his paintings may strike a similar chord.
(Ref: Laura Katzman's Deconstructing Documentary: Ben Shahn's use of photography.)