With the digital revolution, there are more and more photos being taken. It can seem that any particular photo has already been taken numerous times. An interesting piece by Teju Cole in the New York Times relates that photos we see can remind us of other photos. In my case, they often remind me of songs.
A photo of Route 14 in Hants County, Nova Scotia, inevitably brings to mind John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Railroad tracks remind me of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Strip malls remind me of Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime,” and springtime calls forth “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.
Here’s a finding that interests me: “Brain process involved in sight have found the visual cortex also uses information gleaned from the ears as well as the eyes when viewing the world.” This is according to a team of neuroscientists at the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Glasgow. Professor Lars Muckli, who led the research, explained in an article for their university magazine, “Sounds create visual imagery, mental images, and automatic projections.”
Sometimes it’s the imagery in the song; sometimes it’s linked to a memory associated with the song.
“Don’t you wonder sometimes ’bout sound and vision,” David Bowie asked us in the song “Sound and Vision.” Yes, we do.
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Photo tip: Think of a few of your favourite songs and try to take photos that match them.