On a related topic more specific to nature photographers, here in the Midwest our creeks, rivers, and lakes tend to be rather muddy and brown in color, most noticeable to me now because I just returned from a trip to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite last month where the lakes are incredibly blue. While hiking last weekend through the local park, my wife looked out at a lake and remarked, "Think how much prettier this scene would be if the lake was blue." After agreeing with her, I asked, "Why? Why is a blue lake prettier than a brown one?" This led to a discussion about whether natural/scenic "beauty" has objective standards, or is innate, or is a learned response. Obviously, the concept of "beauty" has been discussed for centuries, but it is interesting to think about it as nature photographers, especially in the age of photoshop.
...whether natural/scenic "beauty" has objective standards, or is innate, or is a learned response.
Objective standards [of beauty] suggests a consensus of opinion on what is beautiful, or not. In your example of a blue lake vs. a brown lake, the consensus would be, "The blue lake is prettier." The bigger question, as you say, is why?
I think the answer is a combination of an innate response and a learned response. The reasons for this I'll leave to cognitive scientists in the group because I have no idea--I'm just a BDOF photographer.
I would like to hear what others have to say about this.
40 Photoshop jockeys hardly encompass nor represent 25 different countries or their cultures.
Agreed.
I would like to hear what others have to say about this.
OK…
I vote for the innate/ instinctive response being responsible for much of what we think of as attractive. Indeed, a PBS documentary showed how babies prefer to look at a pretty face. (don’t ya just love my scientific evidence?)
I’m not sure why Sandy posted this, but there seems to be a backlash against altered images of ladies. People have tried to pass legislation to ban all altered photos of females in advertizing, regardless of what is being advertized.
As to the question of photoshopping/altering photos of females… It’s a wonderful thing. Let’s never place rules or restrictions on the freedom to express ones art.
Yes, some feel that the commercial side of our culture is responsible for brainwashing us of our individual preferences in order to have us buy into whatever they are selling and this brainwashing is causing undue hardship on women to look the part, but I disagree. Any feelings of inadequacy come from within.
Sorry if this was uncalled for.
Now, if I can only convince a supermodel to drive long hours, camp, wake at 4:00AM, hike to the sunrise location for the perfect landscape…..
The subject of beauty fascinates me, and I have been reading quite a bit about it. My *personal* opinion is that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder and that one thing can be more beautiful than the other, based on objective measures. What we *find* beautiful is more a matter of taste. But not everyone got good taste, right?
Beauty of people/faces: Research has shown that faces are found beautiful when certain length ratios (e.g. width to height of the face) yield a certain number. The human mind simply likes symmetry and harmony. I think that's why we like ornaments or fractals so much - they are just "attractive".
It was also found that culture has no influence on what is found beautiful. A good example for me are Bollywood actors and actresses - they are attracrive looking - also to western cultures. Similar observations can be made when looking at the anchorpersons in Chinese TV - pretty faces there, also to me. So, in every culture, the same selection processes are active to pick the face that is presented on big screens and the end result are similarly looking (objectively beautiful) people.
The next thing is familiarity. We find beauy in what we know and what is similar to what we are exposed to. I have great fun comparing faces of couples. Often I find them to almost look like siblings. Why do we love or own flesh and blood (little children) so much? First of all because they look so super cute as do little kittens and puppies. Wolf parents respond to the cuteness factor as well - it is hardwired into our genes. But the other factor is - our kids look like us, but much cuter because obviously younger, fresher and yep, just more beautiful... (By the way, I do not have kids)
Convinced?
On the "why" beauty is given so much attention and why we find something beautiful:
Beauty of people: Because outwards appearence of beauty gives a "promise" of good and healthy genes, and that's what everyone strives for. That's why we do not look like apes anymore. Mankind has selected itself on the basis of beauty in the course of the past 5 million years And that process continues...So, how will we look in 5 million years from now...?
Blue lake versus brown lake: I think blue suggests clean, non-toxic, fresh, safe and ...healthy - we have a postive response and find it beautiful. The other aspect is that blue is a primary color, but I am guessing now.
So overall conclusion: beautiful is what we associate with health and it is a survival instinct to look for beauty.
Hope this make some sense and I hope you do not think I am a shallow person....
Discussion
5 replieshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/26/photoshop-around-the-world_n_5534062.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share
Just more fluff from the Puffington Host.
Too funny, John.
Objective standards [of beauty] suggests a consensus of opinion on what is beautiful, or not. In your example of a blue lake vs. a brown lake, the consensus would be, "The blue lake is prettier." The bigger question, as you say, is why?
I think the answer is a combination of an innate response and a learned response. The reasons for this I'll leave to cognitive scientists in the group because I have no idea--I'm just a BDOF photographer.
I would like to hear what others have to say about this.
--P
Agreed.
OK…
I vote for the innate/ instinctive response being responsible for much of what we think of as attractive. Indeed, a PBS documentary showed how babies prefer to look at a pretty face. (don’t ya just love my scientific evidence?)
I’m not sure why Sandy posted this, but there seems to be a backlash against altered images of ladies. People have tried to pass legislation to ban all altered photos of females in advertizing, regardless of what is being advertized.
As to the question of photoshopping/altering photos of females… It’s a wonderful thing. Let’s never place rules or restrictions on the freedom to express ones art.
Yes, some feel that the commercial side of our culture is responsible for brainwashing us of our individual preferences in order to have us buy into whatever they are selling and this brainwashing is causing undue hardship on women to look the part, but I disagree. Any feelings of inadequacy come from within.
Sorry if this was uncalled for.
Now, if I can only convince a supermodel to drive long hours, camp, wake at 4:00AM, hike to the sunrise location for the perfect landscape…..
The subject of beauty fascinates me, and I have been reading quite a bit about it. My *personal* opinion is that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder and that one thing can be more beautiful than the other, based on objective measures. What we *find* beautiful is more a matter of taste. But not everyone got good taste, right?
Beauty of people/faces: Research has shown that faces are found beautiful when certain length ratios (e.g. width to height of the face) yield a certain number. The human mind simply likes symmetry and harmony. I think that's why we like ornaments or fractals so much - they are just "attractive".
It was also found that culture has no influence on what is found beautiful. A good example for me are Bollywood actors and actresses - they are attracrive looking - also to western cultures. Similar observations can be made when looking at the anchorpersons in Chinese TV - pretty faces there, also to me. So, in every culture, the same selection processes are active to pick the face that is presented on big screens and the end result are similarly looking (objectively beautiful) people.
The next thing is familiarity. We find beauy in what we know and what is similar to what we are exposed to. I have great fun comparing faces of couples. Often I find them to almost look like siblings. Why do we love or own flesh and blood (little children) so much? First of all because they look so super cute as do little kittens and puppies. Wolf parents respond to the cuteness factor as well - it is hardwired into our genes. But the other factor is - our kids look like us, but much cuter because obviously younger, fresher and yep, just more beautiful...
Convinced?
On the "why" beauty is given so much attention and why we find something beautiful:
Beauty of people: Because outwards appearence of beauty gives a "promise" of good and healthy genes, and that's what everyone strives for. That's why we do not look like apes anymore. Mankind has selected itself on the basis of beauty in the course of the past 5 million years
Blue lake versus brown lake: I think blue suggests clean, non-toxic, fresh, safe and ...healthy - we have a postive response and find it beautiful. The other aspect is that blue is a primary color, but I am guessing now.
So overall conclusion: beautiful is what we associate with health and it is a survival instinct to look for beauty.
Hope this make some sense and I hope you do not think I am a shallow person....
Dietrich