Chapter 3 in  The Practice of Contemplative Photography (paid link), by Andy Karr and Michael Wood, is called “Two Ways of Seeing.”

I talk a lot about seeing on this blog and on my Facebook page, Adventures in Seeing. For someone new to this practice, they might wonder why. Doesn’t everyone see?

We all know that two people in a similar scene or situation can experience or see it very differently. In this third chapter, the authors describe two ways of seeing – conceptual and perceptual.

Conceptual seeing applies meaning, judgments and labels. A conceptual view of a Porsche, for example, is often a generalization of all the Porsches you have ever seen in your life. It may represent wealth or fastness or elitism, depending on previous experiences and associations with Porsches. It may bring up envy or it may bring up disgust. We see what we are looking for.

A perceptual view, on the other hand, only considers that particular Porsche. You may notice the model and year, its color and shape or the way the sun reflects the trees in the hood. You notice details and experience that Porsche with all of your senses.

Perceptual and conceptual seeing are often blended, with the perception appearing first, like a flash, and then quickly lost once concepts and labels are attached. Being aware of labels and concepts arising can help you to switch back to perceptual seeing.

To see clearly, you need to untangle perception from conception. ~ The Practice of Contemplative Photography

Is perceptual seeing better? Both are necessary. We need to name things in order to be able to communicate with each other. But perceptual seeing enriches our lives by allowing us to see freshly and to experience wonder. There an infinite number of ways of seeing something. Conceptual seeing limits our experience.

Try this exercise.

Consider the image at the top of this post. Glance at it quickly. What comes to your mind immediately? I’m guessing it will be a name for a very common plant. Now, study it carefully for several minutes. Try to put out of your mind the name you gave it at first glance. Study this particular image – the colors and shapes and lines and textures you see. Choose a small area of the image (say one inch square) and look at it carefully. It’s hard to put a label on a portion of the image. How does it make you feel?

After carefully observing it for several minutes, ask yourself how your original conception has changed? Do you have greater appreciation? Are you seeing it differently? Or is it hard to take the labels off? I would love to hear your experience in the comments.