Great fun with Neuroplasticity!

Neuroplasticity, Neuroplasticity - gettin down - with the Neuroplasticity...

Oh, sorry about that, was just having fun with the Neuroplasticity rap...

Come on sing it, it's fun!


On Wednesday, Nov 7th on the Craig Photography blog John asked for replies on if we felt photography affected the Neuroplasticity of the brain.

As this subject can get as complicated as it's name is, I am going to shoot for just the basics, to just barely touch on how photography can affect the brain.



First off lets define what "Neuroplasticity" is for those who are going Neuro-what?

I really like this definition found on this page

Plasticity, or neuroplasticity: is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences.


So can photography help the neuroplasticity of the brain?

Yes, it can.

Does it always do this?

No, it does not.

Ever look at a photograph and go "that does nothing for me?"

You feel no emotion evoked when viewing the photograph, it's just there.

Sure you have.



In contrast when you see a photograph that is very moving to you, you feel captivated by it. You feel it deeply inside you. It is a rush of emotion, many chemical shifts are happening in the brain as this happens.

"I have never see an innocence captured that way before..."

"Wow, there is so much warmth, I can really feel the love between those people, never seen that captured on film that way before..."


"New" is the experience of the viewing of these two different kinds of photographs.

The profound evoking of emotion, and the "New" of the experience of the photograph invokes the reorganization neural pathways.



How about impressionistic photographs?

Photographs that force your imagination to be invoked...

Force you to see and imagine something brand new...

OK lets go back to the definition again...

Lets see here...

Plasticity, or neuroplasticity: is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences.

Hmmm "new experiences"

Check!

Impressionism would fall into that category.


"A picture is worth a thousand words..."

Sound familiar to you?

Why have you head this phrase before? Because in many cases it is true.

So...

When photographing...

do you want to take a 2D flat photo that says nothing or -

maybe you could...

move...

shift as you look at things from different angles / /

change the lighting...

change the ____-------=====> composition...

change your depth of field...

feel your creativity flowing as you...

do what ever it takes to make it -

a work of art...

when you are happy with it...

press the button and just smile...

Share in the neuroplasticity that will be invoked by your photographic art!

Could it be that healing is just a click away?