"Truth is relative and reality is an illusion." Dr. Lamar Wilkenson, former professor of psychology at LA Tech, led off many of his classes with this quote. Truth always depends on an individual's perspective. They bring their religion, their location, their personal experiences into the equation when concluding what is or is not true. The location of which they bring this is their reality, but even that is construed to form a premeditated idea. The reality of where someone is depends on their expectations and opinions. All of these conclude to form a perception. As always, this perception is a unique experience. It is a constantly organizing system of data to output an interpretation. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...

        What is perception? Is there a neurological process involved with it? The answer is yes. Perception, also referred to as sensation, is technically the label for the conscious awareness of stimuli received by sensory receptors. A large amount of stimuli constantly contacts the brain either internally or external of the body. The brain uses sensory receptors to generate action potentials that are then propagated to the spinal cord and brain. Perception is only created when the action potentials reach the cerebral cortex of the brain (Seeley, 466).

        The big question is what your brain does with this information once it goes past the required steps to reach the starting point. The brain forms a perception by one of two methods for processing functions. They are bottom-up and top-down processing.

        In bottom-up processing, individual elements of a stimulus are taken in then combined into a unified perception. This occurs in situations such as reading. Your visual system analyzes every element of every letter of every word, then recombines them into a visual perception of letters and words. This just occurred for you as you read that last sentence. With properly functioning eyes and brain, everyone who reads this paragraph will conclude that the words written are in fact the correct words due to bottom-up processing (Passer, 157).

        Now the variance of what those words mean to each user is dependent on top-down processing. Top-down interprets the meaning in light of preexisting knowledge, concepts, ideas, and expectations. It works simultaneously and in tandem with bottom-up processing to give meaning to the words you have worked out. This is making use of higher-order knowledge, where personal knowledge and experiences finish the thought started by the arrangement of stimulus. An example could be anything where the user, spectator, student, etc, is expected to have a knowledge of the subject before being introduced to new material. The top-down processing is responsible for many psychological influences on perception (Passer, 157).

        How does a person attend to incoming data and how is it perceived? No one ever has only one source of stimulus coming in at a time. As you read this paper (one stimulus) you may also have music playing (second stimulus). Perhaps someone else has music playing, too (third). Your nose may itch (fourth). Perhaps the chair is squeaking (fifth). Do you weigh all of this stimuli equally, or do you weigh all of it with a varying range of importance? No one could balance all of these sources of stimulus equally, so every person must essentially "rank" these incoming beacons of data and filter out those which are not important at the moment. If you have music playing along with someone else, your mind can focus only on your music while the background tracks disappear from your conscious radar. But then if you're only focusing on the music, you are not reading this paper correctly so then you have to demote your own music to the background (much like I am doing currently with my own music while writing this). And that itchy nose and squeaky chair disappear from your stimulus radar similar to the constant beeping of the register while standing in line at a grocery mart. In a case such as that, your mind forces the sound out to prevent you from temporary insanity (Passer, 158).

        These processes have been studied by utilizing a technique called shadowing. In the research labs, it is conducted by having a subject wear headphones, where a separate message is played in each earphone. The subject is asked to repeat what they are hearing, which is done quite well but only for one earphone at a time. The person has to rapidly switch attention to each earphone and use general knowledge to fill in the gaps that were created in the transitional period (Passer, 158).

        I have personally conducted this experiment in a classroom setting, where I and another person talked to a person between us at the same time. We each received an ear and spoke about a completely different topic. Afterwards the person was asked what each of us talked about. The person could identify certain aspects of each conversation, but admitted that when they tried to listen to each conversation at the same time, the result was not understanding anything well enough to gather what was being said. This type of research demonstrates that no one can absolutely do more than one thing at a time to maximum efficiency.

        Perception is utilized to great lengths in art. For photography specifically, perception is considered even in the settings one uses on the camera before the first exposure is created. To control the depth of field, or the focus of an object in relation to everything surrounding it, a photographer can choose one or more of three options. In the case of creating a shallow depth of field, the photographer can use a long lens, walk in closer to the subject, and use a large aperture setting. These will all create a focus that produces a sharp image inside the focus range, but can quickly throw everything outside of that out of focus. Also in the case of using a longer lens or walking closer, these will also alter the composition of the image.

        The camera utilizes other methods to present a perception. A wide angle lens will show a large, expansive scene while also maximizing sharpness from front to back, while a telephoto will compress a scene and offer minimal depth of focus. Andreas Feininger utilized the compression attribute of the telephoto when he photographed New York streets in the 1950's. Wanting to show the beehive crowding and intense activity, he used a super-long telephoto to get rid of any space from one person to the next so the final image had them right on top of each other as they walked down the street. The final result shows a wave of people which offers no room to breath (London, 63).

        The telephoto is often used in sports photography. Some may think this enables the viewer to feel closer to the action, but I disagree. It just lets the photographer get closer to the action photographically, but not emotionally. The compression and shallow depth of field instead show a void between the moment being photographed and the photographer. On the other hand, were an image photographed with a wide angle lens, I would easier believe I was close to the action because all of the signs of a wide angle tell me that the photographer was no more than a few feet in front of what they were photographing. Those signs could range from corner distortion to seeing the ground and sky in the photo, to noticing how the foreground jumps out in the image and the background is pushed way into the distance.

        My preference is a wide-angle lens. This allows me to be in close to my setting and also allows the viewer to see a wide range of context in which the scene is unfolding. I'm a fan of the small details taking place outside the focus of the image. While some photographers use a shallow depth of field to focus the eye on the most important part of the image, I maintain a depth of field that is consistent throughout and instead use context clues to alert the viewer of what is most important in the image.

        I am often told my images are busy. A lot is going on inside of everything I create. Going back to how perception works, this means the viewer has to take in all of this incoming data and allow the sensory receptors to make sense of what is before them. In a split moment, all of the information in my imagery is regulated as being important or unimportant. If I do my job correctly, all of the extraneous information in my image is temporarily cast aside so the focal point can be made. This is the heart of the image. This is what I like to think of as the impact, or second glance aspect of the imagery.

        If a strong enough initial focus is achieved, this gives the image the chance to then be further processed. The initial focus point is recorded in memory, allowing the viewer to then step back from that and allow the secondary stimulus to provide context. Going back to my preference in lens and depth of field, it's imperative here that a wide setting is utilized with proper depth so the context search is also clear and full of clues that relate back to the focal point.

        Something I enjoy tremendously is set design. Every image I make has digital alteration in it, but the level of scrutiny I give to my sets before the first test exposure is made is something not many people realize. I want to capture as much in camera as I can and only refer to digital manipulation when it adds to an image or creates a visual element that would otherwise be impossible. I like to sprinkle details into a scene that people may never actually notice, but if they do they will find an even deeper level of context which falls back to support the initial reaction to the focal point. Concerning perception, people tend to default to the idea that anything slick is just computer generated but many may not know what all can be accomplished in camera. Their idea of truth is relative and believe the reality is a digital illusion.

        "Beta 1" is an image I created depicting a battle scene being waged with paintball guns wherein the focus character is photographing himself with his cellphone. All of the recently described elements of perception come into play in this image. Bottom-up processing is used for the cellphone. It's the initial focal point for a few reasons. One is due to it's value, a light shade being placed against a much darker background. Another is for its prominent shape and the way in which it is held up to be seen. The main character is looking at it, and because of this, so does the viewer. Bottom-up processing computes this raw data and alerts the viewer that they are looking at a cellphone and it is the focal point.

        Bottom-up processing is also utilized to alert the viewer that the characters are holding paintball guns, that they are fighting in a demolished area, and also that the main character is smiling. Top-down processing must then deduce why all of this is happening.

        Viewers bring their own perceptions of war, paintball, and even modern communication when viewing this image. They all receive the same essential bottom-up processing, and then divert this information in various ways according to the manner in which they expand upon the content via top-down. One person told me it was a profound commentary on how soldiers are photographing the war themselves now (in Iraq and Afghanistan), as opposed to photo journalists being in charge of the documentation such as with cases in the past (Vietnam, Korea). Another said it was a stab at the ridiculousness of paintball and the environment it spawns. Yet another viewer stated it was about narcissism of the social networking generation, due to the cellphone self-portrait, without even factoring in the paintball element.

        What is entertaining for me is listening to these various interpretations without feeling as though someone does or does not "get it." That's not the point to the image. In my opinion, it's a snippet of a story with only the elements inside the frame for context of what the story is about. Again, the technical usage of the wide angle and the great depth of field allow for a range of contextual, secondary objects to be found once the viewer absorbs the initial focal point. These elements help shape the perception, allowing people to either let the visual noise in or block it out, and therefore forcing them to create their own interpretations for the gaps created, much like the listener in the aforementioned shadowing experiment. In my opinion, this is what makes busy imagery effective. It allows the viewer to take a journey across an image with multiple destination spots, or they can simply hit the hot spots and move on.

        My opinion of what the final image is about is not important. For me, my opinion was needed for the creation. My insight was needed to make the choices dependent on how the photo should be carried out amid the translation from idea to physical scene. A greater meaning, though, is something a viewer takes in on a personal level. It is their perception of what they look at. I can help guide that journey, but they are free to detour at any point. I'm merely giving the outline of the story and letting the viewer conclude the purpose afterwards.

        Perception is at the heart of psychology, which is the core of each human. How each person thinks, reacts, responds, and feels alters each step of what they perceive before them. Their truth is dependent on experiences and personal or group-think morals. Truth can be bent according to the relativity of the situation. The reality is an illusion created inside their head for how they feel the world should be, given their expectancies and prior experiences. It's no wonder that in wars, opposing sides often label their opposition with similar terms. No one ever thinks they are the bad guy. No one ever is the bad guy in a global sense. It is just different views, with different weights of importance, that shape the final output of how everything is perceived. In the case of war, the winner isn't always the morally right (depending on your position, of course). It's just the one with the most guns and the most friends. The perception we read about in history books was written by those with the firepower to make sure they record the history from their perspective.

        Everyone receives the bottom-up processing. It's a constant variable that doesn't change from one person to the next. It's empirical. It's the top-down processing where individuals add their personal touch of flavor to the world they perceive around them. It is here where murder can be okay, love can be obsession, greed can be validated, or where kindness outshines all other human emotions. It is also here where artists must work to utilize this processing for their work. Consider the scientific method of research, of utilizing the dependent variables for the onset of bottom-up processing and let the independent variable run wild for top-down. Accept that viewer perception of what you intended may be different, but rest in knowing that every conclusion is based on previous biases and experiences that even the best lab-controlled experiment would not be able to account for.

       The main aspect to keep in mind is that you present your work with your own biases and experiences. You accept this as your reality without question because it is what you know to be true (which is relative). Be strong in your position but flexible to accept the fact that no one else has the exact same mindset as you. Opinions of what the work is about may be different, depending on who is looking at the work, where they are looking at it, and maybe even what time of day it is. No matter who is coming in to see this work, know that regardless of what another perspective might be, it is from your perspective which makes the work uniquely yours and of interest for others to see. It is your truth and reality.

London, Barbara, John Upton, Ken Kobre, and Betsy Brill. Photography. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 63.

Passer, Michael W., and Ronald E. Smith. Psychology: Frontiers and Applications. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. 157-158.

Seeley, Rod R., Trent D. Stephens, and Philip Tate. Anatomy and Physiology. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 466-467.