Camera & Brain

I wrote a Really Interesting Book!

It outlines what visual neuroscience can teach the photographer; and it talks about the parallels and differences between cameras versus eyes plus brains. A thrilling popular science read!

I am, I want to say without modesty, one of the few people who could have written that book. There are of course many neuroscientists knowledgeable in vision, and many knowledgeable photographers, but few people fall in both camps.

The book, “The Camera and the Brain” follows two photons on their different paths: One flies through the lens of a camera onto a photographic sensor, and is transformed into a part of a photograph. The other one flies through the lens of a human eye, onto the retina, to be converted into a human percept. I discuss the perception of motion, scale and color, the constant scanning movements of our eyes called saccades, and the recognition of objects like faces. I also explain the fundamental difference between perceiving and photographing. The book is illustrated with my own photographs and illustrations by Anna Farrell.

 

 

One thought on “Camera & Brain

  • Hello.
    The subject of your book looks really interesting and I am greatly impressed by your beautiful photographs.
    I am a Ph.D. parasilogist. Old now (80), but still keen. I have been a member of the Ray Society (based on the Natural History Museum in London) for over 50 years. I don’t know if they would be interested in your book, but communication with them could well yield some interesting possibilities for youl. If you like I can mention your book to a friend of mine who is still very active in the Society. They do not pay royalties, but the contacts I am thinking of would be commercial.
    By the way I had to leave my lecturing job when I was 55 due to rheumatoid arthritis and I started selling scientific books because it can be done from home. It didn’t provide a living, but supplemented what I had. Earlier, I used photographic technique extensively during my microscopic/ultrastructure/histochemical work and am quite keen as an amateur photograpger still.

    Best wishes.

    PJB

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