Monday, January 4, 2010

How We See



"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." ~Henry David Thoreau


Two people can look at the exact same scene and see two entirely different things. What we see, what we feel and how we react to things is dependent on how we were raised, what we've experienced and what filters we've developed during our lives. This scene, which to me depicts a quiet & peaceful country road, could bring back feelings of dread to someone who has had a bad experience in a similar setting. What we are looking at is exactly the same, but what we are seeing is quite different. So, before you "make" your next picture remember that what you photograph may be seen in many different ways. Some people will be drawn to your photograph & others will be unaffected by its' beauty. This is not because of the merit of your photo, but because of how the viewer "sees" it. "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

4 comments:

Rhonda Holcomb said...

So true! Love the fall colors and the winding road! Lovely image.

Les Barr said...

I tend to agree with that. In my eye a prospective photo may look good to me, but to others it my not. Guess that it is in the "eye of the beholder."

Carolyn Fox said...

Thanks for the comments.

I think "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". I guess another one would be "perception is reality", because how we view a photo or a scene becomes our reality.

Jennylynne and Buddy said...

This is true, Carolyn, especially in paintings. Your interpretation of a scene may be totally different than your viewer which alters their perception of your intention.