Vision

How We See

  • Light: Electromagnetic energy within the visible spectrum (400-700 nm).

  • Key Properties:

    • Wavelength: Determines color (short = blue, long = red).

    • Amplitude: Determines brightness.

    • Frequency: Related to wavelength, affects color perception.

Eye Anatomy

  1. Cornea: Focuses light onto the retina.

  2. Pupil: Controls light entry.

  3. Iris: Adjusts pupil size.

  4. Lens: Focuses light further onto retina.

  5. Retina: Contains rods & cones, sends visual info to the brain.

Visual Neurons

  • Rods: Detect black, white, gray (120 million/eye).

  • Cones: Detect fine detail and color.

  • Feature Detectors: Neurons respond to edges, shapes, angles, and motion.

Perceiving Color

  • Primary Colors: Red, blue, green.

  • Hue: Determined by wavelength.

    • Short = violet/blue, Long = red/orange.

  • Amplitude: Affects brightness.

Perception of Form (Gestalt Principles)

  1. Figure & Ground: Separate an image from the background.

  2. Similarity: Group similar objects together.

  3. Proximity: Group nearby objects.

  4. Continuity: Prefer continuous patterns.

Closure: Fill in gaps to complete images.