The rest of the class did origami, going all deep and theoretical about what visual perception is, while I was on my Amsterdam trip for a two-week Journalistic Student Exchange Program.
I had no idea. So Ms. Ivy was kind enough to allow us Amsterdam-ers to write about our trip in our blogs instead of analyzing what was learnt in the class we never attended. But anyhow, I am a curious person, and I attempted to find out all about the origami crane and its secrets on 2D and 3D visual perception through reference from my friends' blogs.
Quite unfortunately, I couldn't quite get the whole of it, the way they associated the entire concept with the 3D crane and its 2D plane. I did understand a few principles of visual perception though, thus I decided to link my understanding to camera snapshots from my trip, and make meaning from the sights of Amsterdam.
I had no idea. So Ms. Ivy was kind enough to allow us Amsterdam-ers to write about our trip in our blogs instead of analyzing what was learnt in the class we never attended. But anyhow, I am a curious person, and I attempted to find out all about the origami crane and its secrets on 2D and 3D visual perception through reference from my friends' blogs.
Quite unfortunately, I couldn't quite get the whole of it, the way they associated the entire concept with the 3D crane and its 2D plane. I did understand a few principles of visual perception though, thus I decided to link my understanding to camera snapshots from my trip, and make meaning from the sights of Amsterdam.
Relative size is a perceptual clue in determining the size of objects by comparing them to nearby, known objects. On a two-dimensional plane, larger images are perceived as closer objects whereas smaller images are perceived as farther objects. As can be seen in the picture, the image of the bicycles appear to be larger than the boat (even though in actuality the boat is larger than the bicycle); hence it is perceived that the bicycles are closer to the eye in comparison to the boat.
Elevation (height in visual field) also helps to determine the distance of an object from the eye, whereby an object located further from the horizon is perceived as being closer to the observer, and vice versa. In the picture, the red canal boat is further from the horizon when compared to the building in the distance; hence we can tell that the red canal boat is closer to the point of observation.
Interposition happens when images overlap in a two-dimensional plane, due to the objects which are positioned in a front-and-back manner when viewed from a three-dimensional perspective. In the photograph, the rubbish bin partially covers the horse carriage, and the horse carriage partially covers the Dam Square monument. This is because when looking from the observer's eye, the rubbish bin is positioned in front of the horse carriage, and the horse carriage is positioned in front of the Dam Square monument, forming an overlapping of images that illustrate the concept of interposition.
Linear perspective is created when parallel lines are positioned in such a way that they connect the observer's eye to a vanishing point at the horizon, representing 'visual rays' that provide a sense of depth and distance. Train tracks are the best example, as can be seen in the photograph of Central Station, Amsterdam.
Aerial perspective refers to the effect the atmosphere has on the appearance of an object as it is viewed from a distance. Far objects are less clear because light rays passing through them travel through more of atmosphere, causing them to have less saturation and lower contrast with the background than do near objects. Boats in the far distance of the picture blend in more to the background and atmosphere when compared to the boat the observer is standing on.
Texture gradient is the term that applies to the progressively finer appearance of textures and surface grains of objects as distance between object and observer increases. In other words, when surfaces are seen as rougher and more detailed, one can tell that the object is closer to the observer's eye. The short fur texture of the cowhide on the right can be seen in detail, when compared to the cowhide on the left, which appears smooth and fine in appearance. Obviously, the cowhide on the right is closer to the observer.
Light and shadow in visual perception enables understanding of an object's depth, its three-dimensional shape, and its relationship to the light source. Opaque objects block light and produce shadows of different length and shape, depending on distance between the object and its light source. We can tell from the picture above that light comes from the back of the tree, as its shadow falls forward (towards the observer's eye), and that there is some distance between the tree and the observer (note the space where the shadow falls).