can you see it

[6282bear]

can you see ita1lx4.jpg

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[6282bear]

can't see it?

[TCampbell]

Yep! I see it. Since the effect is a bit of an image "game", I won't spoil it for others.

[ChicagoJohn]

I can see it too. Since this has been posted for awhile now, I will offer a hint.

There is an area of psychology having to do with perception in which the German term "gestalt" became used.
Was ist das? In German it means a shape or form. Applied to perception theory it has to do with the way in which attention can generate multiple forms to interpret the same sense data input -- but not simultaneously.

With that in mind, try looking at the image, after clicking on it to make it larger, forcing yourself to consciously make your attention change foreground and background. When you make the transition it's an "ah ha" moment, but you won't see both at once.

If that isn't enough, try googling "gestalt image" to see a few examples, then you should have no problem seeing "it" in this one.

I really like your post, bear, because it gives us insight into a very important part of photography; viz., that an image is in the mind of the beholder.

[kwickers]

ummm, no Can not see it.

[ChicagoJohn]

ummm, no Can not see it.

Hiya, kwickers. Try this: Google "Gestalt images". Then take a look at several of them. Then click on this one to enlarge it and take another look. If you decide to do this, let me know what happens

[6282bear]

if you see it or not do you like what you see

[ChicagoJohn]

I like what I see. I like bilateral symmetry. It is interesting to observe what the cognitive process does with it, and in this case we also have it in both the X and Y directions.

But what I really like most about your image is the gestalt effect. I asked my wife to step over to the computer just now and view the enlarged image you posted. After literally four minutes during which I traced out the outlines over and over again with my cursor, she finally saw it with an exclamation, "OH! NOW i SEE IT !!

It is that element of perceptual/cognitive transition and consequent surprise and the way that experience informs the viewer of the underlying processes which are ordinarily unconscious that to me is what fundamentally makes this image cool, although it is also nice as an example of symetry as well.

Since I think I saw that you used a green arrow to invite others to post here, (please forgive me if I am mistaken), I thought I would add a couple of examples of bilateral symmetry that I've done which I found interesting because of the effect upon the perception of seeing "beings" or faces. Our processing systems are designed to look for faces and they naturally "see" them when the conditions are right; eyes, mouths, and so on, in beings that are symmetrical bilaterally. So this related to the effect of your initial image, I think, though not as cool in terms of the surprise in discovery.


bilateral symetry in broken glass by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr


southpark 1 by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr


Tangled up Two by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/195955

[bert]

I can't see it I'm too dumb, I guess

BUT ! It is a fine image. I like kaleidoscope effects too, and here's one of mine

ChicagoJohn, your erudition is most impressive, and so are your pictures - your 3rd one here reminds me of this one that I'm posting here (well, sorta vaguely, yours is neater).

Oh, and there's nothing to "see" in mine, I'm afraid - it's just a piece of abstract art.