Photophys.com: The Science of Photography

Writing “Science for the Curious Photographer” has been a wonderful learning experience for me.  In fact, it has been life altering.  I never before realized the amazing job that our brain does in converting relatively poor 2D images from our two eyes into a stable, colored, 3D illusion of the world.  We perceive as real a representation, based on statistical inference, that is subject to contradictory illusions.  Psychologists are beginning to understand the mysteries of vision and are even exploring why some images appeal to the human mind more than others.  Michael Gazzaniga’s book, “Human,” is a great resource for those who are trying to understand the uniqueness of the human mind.  Also, Daniel Tammet’s elegant book “Embracing the Wide Sky” presents an accessible and succinct introduction to the wonders of vision in the chapter “Light to Sight.”  My research has led me into the worlds of Surreal Art, Op Art, and Computer Vision.  All of this has enhanced my love of photography and image processing.