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By Charles S. Johnson, Jr.
PART II:
Understanding What Makes a Good Image and Learning How to Use That Knowledge
New cameras don’t just capture photons; they compute pictures, Brian Hayes
Finally I found in the appearance of the real world the same abstraction as in pictures, René Magritte
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Why do images attract or repel?
Now we come to the crux of the matter.  Why do we respond as we do to art?  It is easy and fun to speculate. Consider the following suggested “attractants”:
Representations and reminders of stimulating experiences:  Representational art certainly reminds us of people and events.  Food, games, combat, and attractive people are all featured in popular art.  This brings to mind good documentary photography that has impact and evokes feelings.  At a deeper level all art represents nature, and some universally satisfying features of images reveal our evolutionary past.  Natural landscapes are preferred, especia...

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Charles S. Johnson, Jr.
Charles S. Johnson, Jr.
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Charles S. Johnson, Jr. received a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT. He taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Yale University, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is now Professor Emeritus. He has published approximately 150 papers on magnetic resonance and light scattering as well as books on laser light scattering and quantum mechanics. His interest in photography goes back to the 1950's; however, for many years his career in science left little time for serious photography. Now he is an avid nature photographer, and he blogs about photography here. In addition, he is making use of his scientific background to research and write about the physical and psychological bases of photography. His recent book, Science for the Curious Photographer, 2nd Ed, includes discussions of light and optics, sensors, factors that determine image quality, and the human visual system.
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