jis-
30 he
>0MMe
w
&
a hill
ng may
our
rac-
e has
he
eans"
rimary
verse
ied
n-rede
nnection
the sun
ough.
e only
colour
are
-25-
remembered and recognized more easily that those of other colours.
If Vernon is right (1962, p. 73j 75), and we can support her with our
own experiences, than the fact that only eight colours are generally
named (red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and brown) is a
very weak spot indeed for the use of colour photographs for interpreta-
tion. These eight colours,which can be named,contrast with the 120 pure
colours distinguishable in the spectrum (Naumann, 1960, De 120) and the
1 to 10 thousand of mixed colours in the colour-triangle (Mac Adam 1966).
Skill in remembering can be improved by practice; typically, mostly
women go to the market to purchase coloured buttons by just remembering
the colours of the dress — and check at home to find good matching.
Men don't dare to rely on their colour memory, even those who have &
normal physiological colour visione See graph at p. €.
[me author's experience with students from all over the world
stresses the need for training in colour naming and thus in
colour seeing and remembering: the seven colours of the rainbow
have to be tought to many of the adults, in number as well as in order.
Another point is interesting for associative thinking: is it
possible that the lack of words for colours enhances the
emotional reaction on colours? In analogy with smell, it could
be possibles
The subjective, almost unconsious appreciation of colours to
work beautiful, ugly, quiet, activating, etc., is very difficult
to catch into words. Among Western people, the order of
preference is said to be fairly constant (blue, red, green,
purple, orange, yellow (Vernon 1962, pe72)), probably they are
symbolically associated through cultural tradition. However,
when East and West meet on & double scanning stereoscope,
colour appreciation may lead to some misunderstandinge
A purely physiological reason may be responsible for colour
appreciation and visual fatigue. The colour aberrations of the
eye lens and the necessity of extra focussing for red and
defocussing for blue cause eye-strain, depending upon anatomical
differences from person to person. This could be the basis for
the early appreciation of red by infants, and form the bias for
the evaluation of later colour perceptiono
Visual fatigue occurs especially when the eye cannot find its
optimum adjustment. This is the case when counting trees on
false colour transparencies, where blue and red are mixed and
always one of the two being out of focus on the retina. Such
eye strain cannot be reduced by training; it caused headache
after a few hours work, every day anew (Miss CeP. Movia, private
comme 1968) | Some consequences of colour perception for photo-
interpretation are discussed in Par.}8.