Introduction

How we see light

As we look at a beautiful scene before us our eyes do magical things.  The human eye instantaneously adapts as it perceives our surroundings.  Not only can our pupil open or close to moderate the amount of light that falls on our retina, it possesses both cones and rods – cones that capture color (red, green and blue) and rods that are monochromatic and have ultimate single photo sensitivity.  To provide even greater adaptability, these cones and rods are locally adapted to the adjacent light levels in the scene.  What’s more the human eye is able to achieve wide and telescopic views at the same time. In addition, our synapses are continuously streaming images to our minds which assemble this all together to give an optimized composite.  In many ways, our visual experience is like a movie camera from which we pull our best memories.

When we put a camera to work, it’s no easy feat to replicate what we see with our own eyes.  The good news is it’s absolutely achievable and when done well can amplify upon our visual senses beyond what what the unaided human eye was able to perceive.  The result can evoke a reality that takes us beyond our normal experience.

Why this website ?

The purpose of this website is share how to create beautiful images from moments throughout our lives.  The aim is to not only capture what our eyes see, but to transform these moments into something more - creating art from what we experience in life.