UW Eye Research Institute
Our brains quickly recognize forms by their outside edges, and tonal contrast aids seeing these edges. The light of the sunset contrasts with the darkness of the farm landscape in this classic silhouette. Photo by LSC student Sheri Nelson.
Our brains respond emotionally to color, and both artists and psychologists know that red excites brain waves and raises blood pressure and pulse rates. The red barn and reddish-brown horse immediately attract the eye and complement the horse’s movement, darting directly at surprised LSC student photographer Brittany Bowling.
Depth cues help us navigate through space and judge distances. Patterns emphasize depth, drawing our eye along the beams to the contrasting shadow of the real bird just visible above the adjacent beam. Photo by LSC student Travis Balinas.
While the brain swiftly processes real movement (objects approaching), photographs can capture “implied” movement; this young musician is photographed with a slow shutter speed to create “blur,” while the electronic flash freezes his enthusiasm. Photo by LSC student Sheri Nelson.As the first female photojournalist in Wisconsin to work for a daily newspaper (The Capital Times), Reaves spent eight years sharpening visual reporting skills prior to joining UW faculty ranks. In addition to her real-world practice, Reaves grounds her teaching in basic vision science to help students understand the eye as a sensing organ working in tandem with the processing brain.
Brain cells in the visual cortex respond primarily to four qualities of images—color, form, depth and movement—termed visual brain cues. These cues are foundations in the architecture of our brain, part of how we naturally gather knowledge, and in human evolutionary history likely played a role in our species survival and success. They prime us to quickly detect distinctions and differences, to separate and select objects or images from background or surroundings (apple from tree; bear from rock; snake from branch).
In art and graphic design, past centuries to present, people intuitively apply vision cues. Greater knowledge of these visual brain cues, whether instinctively discerned or consciously cultivated, increases personal observation abilities. These principles work across the media, empowering everyone—not just those who see themselves as artists or photographers—to see the world with fresh eyes. “We’re all innately tuned to visual brain cues. But I try to teach ‘seeing’ in a disciplined way, developing critical consciousness backed by an understanding of the brain’s natural genius,” Reaves asserts. “Knowing more about how the brain processes images helps students to move beyond ego-based preferences to articulate likes or dislikes by basing critiques on these common denominator cues central to our collective humanity.”
Informed by her extensive research on the ethics of digital manipulation of news and media photographs, Reaves contends that increasing visual awareness is invaluable. Careful looking and ability to analyze visual messages are critical tools she teaches in photography, visual composition and editing, documentary photography, and digital storytelling. “Learning to be more observant contributes to the quality of our lives,” she notes. “By paying attention to how we see, what we notice, and what essence of that we may capture through a camera lens, we bring curiosity and questioning to bear on images we view and those we create.” Through this philosophy shared in her courses, Reaves’ students become adept at employing images to attract attention in order to explain science concepts in outreach and marketing contexts.
An Aldous Huxley saying often quoted in visual communication circles underscores a simple truth: “The more you know, the more you see.” The processing brain links knowledge gained through life experience to information the eye brings in. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that brain cognition is increased through attentive observation and visual processing. “Since observation skills may increase our capacities in perception, attention, visual search, episodic memory and visual predicting power,” Reaves suggests, “Why not take up photography as a tool to maintain brainpower as we age, enlisting these brain cues to enhance careful looking, attention and memory tasks?” Such intentional visual focus can boost neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to react and adapt in ever-changing ways throughout life, fostering our continual learning. (Previous)