Hello, welcome to the second cut of this article. In the first part we looked at the general nature of light and images. See LIVING IN A SEA OF IMAGES 1. This time around we shall explore:
- - How Images are Used in Daily Life
- - Manipulation of Images
- - Learning and Imagery
- - Communication and Imaging
Most obviously, life here on earth is so much based on light and images. You may not agree immediately because you feel it is rather based on objects. I will not disagree with you. Life is generally based on objects that we seem to see. But the truth is that we actually see the images from the objects. No single person living here on earth has ever seen any object directly; all of us have been seeing ONLY the images since the dawn of time.
HOW IMAGES ARE USED IN DAILY LIFE:
Every day we live, move and enjoy or object to the effects of images around us. Before we act or react to any development or initiate our own actions, the images connected to the matter or issue must have reached us beforehand. Let us take some samples so as to grasp this properly.
A. I am on the computer typing this article. How did I get to the computer in the first place? The image of the computer appeared in my mind. I then walked to where I kept the computer. The image of the computer has to correspond to the idea (image) in my mind, otherwise I will feel that something has gone wrong: probably my own computer has been misplaced or taken away. Do you see that images are controlling my actions? But I may not be completely aware of this in the meantime. Well, let us say that nothing is amiss so I lift the computer and go on to work. All the processes leading to the choice of application to use are all based on images emanating from the computer. Reflect on this a little while before you read on. You can now conveniently follow this scenario to its logical conclusion.
B. Let us meet the scientist in the laboratory. He has arrived safely to office so we leave out those stages. Now he wants to observe certain chemical reactions so as to ascertain its effect on workings of the heart. The lab attendant had set up the required protocols. How does he ensure that everything is in order at this point? He takes a studied look at the setup. Now he cannot satisfy himself that all is well unless specific images hit his eyeballs and are in agreement with his preconceived decisions. Only the appropriate images can convince him to go ahead. Without these adequate images he will not proceed with the experiments. Again, images are controlling his decision-making processes. So he goes on when all is well and all the steps pertaining to successful experiment is being remotely guided by images. He cannot afford to look away even for a brief second from the proceedings of the reactions. Otherwise he loses the rhythm and the experiment is inconclusive.
C. So how does the lady in her shop manage the customers who come every day to patronize her? Watch as she locates the keys to the shop. She looks in the handbag. The image of the keys must agree with her preconceived patterns before she can lift the object out of the bag. She has to locate the customer care desk, settle down to pre-shopping responsibilities before customers arrive. Only the adequate images will assist her to coordinate her movements including sweeping, arranging things, cleaning up and beginning entries in the record books. Now how will she get the items for the customers? The image of the item sitting at certain part of the store will guide her. The customer turns her offer down if she focused on the wrong item. Eventually the transaction is completed when all the imaged related to the business are in harmony.
We can go on and on picking on other different scenarios to gain further appreciation of this subject. Look at issues like driving vehicles of all sizes and descriptions, security operations, attending conferences, our homes, games and sports of all kinds, journalism or agriculture. Everything is inextricably under the influence of images.
MANIPULATION OF IMAGES
Humanity have come to the point where it can tamper with images before they reach their destinations. If you look around you see a lot of effort being made to tamper with images. Sometime it is for a certain selfless enterprise while at other times our selfishness does get a serious hold on the images. Images are daily manipulated to deceive, strengthen, weaken, empower or misinform.
How are images manipulated? Once images leave the object by reflection, refraction or other avenues they can be saved or stored using some adequate retrievable medium. These include the camera films, video films, CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives, Random Access Memory (RAM), Hard Disk Drives, and other forms of memory. Images saved this way can then be subjected to various levels of alterations with or without the knowledge and or consent of the source from where it originated.
- The Mass Media. This is about the most culpable single institution in the use and or abuse of images. So many professionals are deployed to ensure accurate manipulation of images. These include but not limited to engineers, artists, costumers, presenters, moderators, reporters, managers and directors. On daily basis these officers are engaged in image altering to suit one goal or the other. This is very evident in the television, YouTube, pictures, artiste costumes, and masquerades among others.
- Have you taken time to watch how long it takes certain women to get dressed? The woman’s world is one institution where image manipulation is very rampant. After such exercises you can hardly recognize the original form. It is probably expected that the observer accept the altered image as authentic. May be it helps to make the figure more acceptable or so?
- Advertisers do a lot in image manipulation. Many new or unacceptable products become attractive under very nice wrappings or covers. Patrons feel very happy brandishing their colourful goods as it may have placed them in a certain social class as the advert indicated. Even candidates for elective positions do all within their powers to teleguide the would-be voters as they smile broadly, applying nice gestures and wearing attractive attires all in the effort to beef up their image as credible and trustworthy.
LEARNING AND IMAGERY
You may have heard or come across the phrase, ‘Audio-visual’. Yes, it refers to the most powerful instrument employed in teaching and learning. Educationists found out that without these two tools teaching and learning would be very difficult. So before any learning processes begin the teachers ensure that there adequate audio-visual aids. I have dwelt on the benefits of sound in my article MUSIC FOR HEALING and THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF CERTAIN MUSIC 1. This will help you pick up the audio component while we focus on images here. Images are one of the most effective tools for education. When the auntie in a class of toddlers want to tell them about oranges she simply raises an orange before the children while proclaiming, ‘this is an orange’. After some repetitions she asks them, ‘what is this?’, and they reply, ‘it is an orange!’ It was through the image of the orange NOT the orange itself, that the auntie could transmit the knowledge.
In virtually all disciplines it is the power of imagery that has enabled the teachers to transmit their wealth of knowledge.
Is it medicine, law, fine and applied arts literature, engineering, the pure sciences, agriculture? Learning without images is zero. I recall what was once referred to Alternative to Practical in my secondary school days. It was a situation where students did practical science exams without a single lab activity. Some people ’passed’ and were awarded ‘certificates’.
COMMUNICATION AND IMAGING
One of the most difficult subjects for students is Mathematics. Good number of Maths teachers have yet to understand why it is so. The reasons stems from lack of adequate corresponding imagery to transmit the ideas from the teacher, tutor or lecturer to the students or pupils. Some educationists have tried to break this logjam by developing certain images to help the students and this effort has yielded so much positive results.
When abstract concepts are being transmitted to listeners or end users it is at times hard to anchor it effectively. So many people distance themselves from areas such as philosophy, mathematics, physics because there are no teaching aids. Even the so called teachers are barely hanging on so as not to miss their source of daily living. Countries in the western worlds, the middle and Far East have all achieved greater results through deployment of adequate education modules to overcome this challenge.
THE FUTURE OF IMAGERY ON LIFE
The subject of imagery are probably as old as life itself. However the extent of its control on the affairs of man and the entire material existence have yet to be fully appreciated. In time this great domineering influence will become an everyday discourse on the lips of humanity. Its influence will then be better understood and utilized.
Comments
Post a Comment