You’ve been seeing faces, I know you have.
You’re walking by a doorway and there it is, smiling right back at you. A face. Faces. They are everywhere and I guarantee once you start looking for them you won’t be able to stop seeing them.
Pareidolia is its name
This is actually quite common, and it has a name: Pareidolia. It’s a psychological phenomenon that causes the human brain to give significance and facial features to random patterns.
Finding the faces is a game
Next time you’re out wandering around with your camera, slow down a bit, look around and see how many faces you find. Check the patterns in the bark of a tree, and look for objects that create eyes, a nose and mouth.
The grills of cars often create faces depending on the design of the car. Buttons or snaps on clothing can be seen as eyes. Wander around your own home and see how many faces you find. Faucets, drains, tile, wood floors … the list goes on.
Why do you see faces in inanimate objects?
A quick read article on Artsy.com dives into this a bit more. It has some interesting information about why our brains find faces in everyday objects.
How can seeing faces everywhere help your photography?
When you’re looking specifically for faces you slow down and pay much closer attention to what you’re seeing. This means you may also find some other interesting subjects to photograph. Maybe you’ll discover a completely different composition you wouldn’t have ever noticed had you not been looking closer at your subject.
Looking for other ways you can improve your photography by seeing more? Check out these tips.
So, next time you’re out with your camera give it a try. See how many faces you can find and don’t blame me if you can’t stop seeing them.
I have pareidolia and I see them everywhere. In the ground, in hair/dust combinations, in everything. It’s driving me crazy. At first I thought it was a religious experience. I’m still not convinced it’s not. But it’s really overwhelming and I wish I could look at something without a face popping out at me.
I’ve never heard it described as something like a health condition.
It’s your reticular activation system in your brain, humans are hard wired to see faces as a survival mechanism from birth.
Love this! Such a great exercise to explore your creativity. I like looking at clouds and finding shapes there or imagining scenes but this is different. Will certainly give it a go!
Careful – once you start seeing faces you can’t stop! 😀