Sunday, September 23, 2012

How You See The World... Literally

Ok, I think we all can come to a collective agreement that looks can be very decieving, right? Or is it our own minds that deceive us?

I've been reading around the web to get some ideas on how to enhance my photo journey and I stumbled across a really interesting article that really introduced me to the basic concept of photography and the mindset that is needed to gain an genuine understanding of it.

In Ben Evans's article Benefit From How You See The World, he states that "we get 80% of our impressions about the world through our eyes". If my math is correct then that means 20% is created through another medium. He explains that this medium is through our minds that communicate what we would like to see. Yes, in our minds we form our own realities of our surroundings before we even see it.

In a nutshell, the process of Reticular Activating System (RAS) allows our minds and eyes to generalize, highlight, then delete information while we are looking. Without throwing a bunch of scientific jargon at you, generalizing is the reason why we can never recall the last stranger we've last seen. Things that are unfamiliar with us are just meshed into crowds and become a blur. Highlighting happens when we notice only what we're focused on but not the surrounding situations, somewhat like when you're watching your favorite TV show but didn't notice the lights were turned off and someone left the room. Our minds delete information like when we see didn't notice any of the billboards you've passed on the highway.

This article really hit it right on the nail for what I was looking for to start as a beginner, like myself. I will put this information into play so that I do not produce any photos as boring as this one I took with my cell phone camera...

Yes, I know, what an absolutely boring image because even with Adobe Photoshop Express Editor there still isn't that much excitement going on...
I will be posting all the information on how I edited the original image, materials I used, and everything in between soon. But, now that I know about this RAS technique I should be able to use it to take more eye-catching photos and improve them through different tools in Photoshop.

Remember when it's all said and done, there's still more than what meets the eye...

11 comments:

  1. I used to love how awesome Photoshop could make me look with just a few filters and brush strokes. I never really took the time to think about what it could do to something so simple as a tree. I mean, the two pictures look completely different. It is a amazing how technology can take such a "low tech" photograph like the one from your camera phone, and turn it into a whole different work of art. But I am still trying to wrap my mind around RAS. I am going to have to look into that more and do some experimenting with it. Thanks for shedding some light on the things my brain is trying to forget =]

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    1. Yes, Photoshop is a miracle worker! And now that it has developed into a massive powerhouse, its efficiency is almost effortless. After reading the article by Ben Evans I honestly felt inspired to train my brain to literally receive more information than what meets the eye. There is so much information, ideas, and impressions I could be taking in if I just tried to retain some of the useful information I'm missing out on. Of course it's hard to break a habit, but I think I miss out on nature's beauty by generalizing, highlighting, then erasing information. I agree with you, it's a concept I need to wrap my head around too, but I will definitely try!

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  2. Great post, I have a Cannon DSLR 70D and I love taking and editing photos. I am currently in the process of purchasing Adobe and this blog will be a big help when it comes to learning the ins and outs of the program. If you could include some screenshots of the tools you use and how you use them in Adobe that would be awesome! Also, do you have a interest in photography where you want to pursue it for a career or is it just a hobby of yours?

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    1. I wish I had your camera! But since I'm on a small college student budget, I'm using a less advanced camera. In my first post I mentioned that I haven't used Photoshop since high school, so I will be learning the nuts and bolts of that program right along with you! I will definitely try to incorporate more screenshots and instructions. Thanks for the suggestion. I've always had an interest in photography but I never acted on it until now. Maybe it just might become a hobby of mine...

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  3. Thanks, really glad you found the article useful. The practical way to apply it is to think about what it is that you want to photograph and then ensure that it dominates the frame. Usually moving closer achieves this. It also helps to remove any distractions. I think 80% of the information (impressions) about the world comes through our eyes; the other 20% is through our other senses. What's fascinating is that the mind filters our sense impressions before they ever reach our conscious awareness. Knowing this should help you take better photos :-)

    Ben @ www.EnglishPhotographer.com

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    1. I apologize for the late response. Thanks a bunch for your feedback. I really appreciate it. It's amazing how our minds' filter translates directly into photographs. What a concept! I'll be sure to take your advice each time I take new photos. Thanks again for the article.

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  4. Hello

    I came across your blog while I was reading the article of Ben Evans in DPS.
    Congratulations on your new camera. Try shooting as much as you can. I am a complete novice to photo editing, will be learning with you :)

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    1. I'm sorry to be getting back to you so late but thanks so much for stopping by! I'm loving my camera so far. Thanks for the advice. I'll try to be as helpful as possible with the photo editing :)

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  5. I love Photoshop, but I'm curious, have you ever used Adobe (previously Macromedia) Fireworks? I find it to be a better photo editing program, as it retains many features from Photoshop but I feel it has an easier UI to work with.

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    1. Interestingly, I never heard of that program. I will look it up and see where I could find it. Thanks!

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  6. Photoshop really does bring photos to life. I always used to look at my pictures and wonder why I'd take a picture like that, I guess I was missing that lifelike element that you can get using photoshop. I definitely need to start doing that now.

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