Understanding Human Color Perception

In summary, the conversation focuses on the sensitivity of human cone cells and the range of colors that can be perceived by the human eye. It is noted that perception of color is affected by the surrounding environment and the comparison with the brightness of other colors. The concept of desaturation and its relationship with white light is also discussed. The individual seeking information struggles to understand how brightness and saturation work together in creating distinguishable colors, but is unable to find a satisfactory answer.
  • #1
JeremyL
22
0
Does this make sense?This is the sensitivity of the 3 human cone cells.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4562/28030351.jpg

This is the range of different colors that the human eye can see.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9397/31986914.jpg

This color would appear white.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7622/38524108.jpg

This color would appear gray.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2720/40928929.jpg

And this color would appear dark gray/almost black.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4922/71486004.jpg

This color would appear green.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2658/49001107.jpg

And this would be a less saturated green.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/379/46565217.jpg
 
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  • #2
JeremyL said:
This is the sensitivity of the 3 human cone cells.
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4562/28030351.jpg

Yep, that looks similar to me to other representations of human cone cell sensitivity.
Maybe you ought to remark that in this representation the sensitivity lines are recalibrated to have their peaks at the same height. In other diagrams that I've seen the leftmost line, the blue one, was much less high than the other ones.
Of course, in effect the retinal nerve cells perform just such a "recalibration", so that the proportions of the different colors in daylight come out to be perceived as colorless.

JeremyL said:
This is the range of different colors that the human eye can see.
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9397/31986914.jpg

I concur.


JeremyL said:
This color would appear gray.
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2720/40928929.jpg

Yes, providing you mention that the perception of gray is primarily dependent on the ratio of contributing colors in the light that falls on the retina, not on total light yield.

For instance, suppose I'm in a hardly illuminated room, looking at a computer screen, displaying white (with the screen brightness set at 100%) That sure looks white.
Then I adjust the screen brightness to 50%. Then after my eyes have readjusted to the new situation the screen will still look white.
The perception of what the screen shows is constructed by comparison with the surroundings. The surrounding is a hardly illuminated room, so the computerscreen set to brightness 50% still outshines anything in the room. Under those circumstances the light from the computer screen will be perceived as white.

Conversely, if you flood a room with white light (either daylight or from lamps), then if you outshine the computerscreen you will percieve the displayed "white" as grayish. (However, your knowledge/memory that the screen is displaying white will probably bias your perception.)

JeremyL said:
This color would appear green.
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2658/49001107.jpg

I concur


JeremyL said:
And this would be a less saturated green.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/379/46565217.jpg

As in the case of perceiving shades of gray, there is also the element of comparison with the surroundings.

Cleonis
 
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  • #3
I get confused when thinking about chromaticity spaces and desaturation. The CIE diagram is a chromaticity space that shows no change in brightness. Does this means that all of the hues are shown at full brightness? Every monochromatic color plus the extra spectral purples are desaturated by being mixed with the white in the center of the diagram right?

http://www.gis.zcu.cz/studium/pok/Materialy/Book/resources/CIE1931.jpg

How can a color be mixed with white to desaturate it when white looks like this:

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7622/38524108.jpg

and green looks like this?:

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2658/49001107.jpg

The spectral curve of white engulfs the spectral curve of green which should make it impossible to mix the two right?

If the spectral curve of the desaturated green looks like this:

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/379/46565217.jpg

And the spectral curve of gray looks like this:

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2720/40928929.jpg

Then wouldn't the green have been mixed with gray instead of white to desaturate it?

I hope this makes sense and if it doesn't please tell me why.

Thanks
 
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  • #4
I am getting no replies so I guess I'm making no sense. I simply want to figure out how our eyes see all the different colors that they can see and how brightness and saturation relate to all of them. I understand that white light is sent to us from the sun and contains all of the hues that we can see due to our 3 cones with overlapping sensitivities. But I don't understand how brightness and saturation work together to make the possibility of different distinguishable colors a lot greater. It is driving me crazy that i cannot figure this out. There is something big that i am not understanding because i have been trying to figure this out for months now with no luck. Please, Please help me out.
 
  • #5
JeremyL said:
I am getting no replies so I guess I'm making no sense. I simply want to figure out how our eyes see all the different colors that they can see and how brightness and saturation relate to all of them. I understand that white light is sent to us from the sun and contains all of the hues that we can see due to our 3 cones with overlapping sensitivities. But I don't understand how brightness and saturation work together to make the possibility of different distinguishable colors a lot greater. It is driving me crazy that i cannot figure this out. There is something big that i am not understanding because i have been trying to figure this out for months now with no luck.

I have to say, the prospects for you figuring it out are not good. If it would be within your capacity you would by now have located sources of information that answer your questions.


For now all I can do is repeat. I copy and paste from my earlier reply.

Perception of gray is primarily dependent on the ratio of contributing colors in the light that falls on the retina, not on total light yield.

For instance, suppose I'm in a hardly illuminated room, looking at a computer screen, displaying white (with the screen brightness set at 100%) That sure looks white.
Then I adjust the screen brightness to 50%. Then after my eyes have readjusted to the new situation the screen will still look white.
The perception of what the screen shows is constructed by comparison with the surroundings. The surrounding is a hardly illuminated room, so the computerscreen set to brightness 50% still outshines anything in the room. Under those circumstances the light from the computer screen will be perceived as white.

Conversely, if you flood a room with white light (either daylight or from lamps), then if you outshine the computerscreen you will percieve the displayed "white" as grayish. (However, your knowledge/memory that the screen is displaying white will probably bias your perception.)


Cleonis
 
  • #6
Cleonis said:
I have to say, the prospects for you figuring it out are not good. If it would be within your capacity you would by now have located sources of information that answer your questions.


For now all I can do is repeat. I copy and paste from my earlier reply.

Perception of gray is primarily dependent on the ratio of contributing colors in the light that falls on the retina, not on total light yield.


Cleonis

Is this true with all other colors too? not just white?
 

Related to Understanding Human Color Perception

1. What is the human eye's perception of color?

The human eye perceives color through a process called trichromacy, where three types of cone cells in the retina are responsible for detecting red, green, and blue light. These colors are then combined in the brain to create the full spectrum of colors that we see.

2. How do we see colors differently?

Individuals may see colors differently due to variations in the number of cone cells they have, as well as differences in the pigmentation of these cells. Additionally, color perception can be influenced by cultural and societal factors, as well as personal experiences and associations with certain colors.

3. What is color blindness and how does it affect color perception?

Color blindness, also known as color vision deficiency, is a condition where an individual has trouble distinguishing between certain colors. This is caused by an absence or malfunction of one or more cone cells in the retina. Color blindness can impact color perception by making it difficult to differentiate between certain colors, or in severe cases, making it impossible to see certain colors at all.

4. How does light affect color perception?

Light is crucial for color perception as it is the source of all visible colors. Different wavelengths of light correspond to different colors, and the intensity of light can also impact how we perceive colors. For example, colors may appear more vibrant in bright light compared to dim light.

5. Can color perception be influenced by external factors?

Yes, color perception can be influenced by external factors such as lighting, surrounding colors, and context. For example, the same color may appear different when placed against different backgrounds or in different lighting conditions. Additionally, our emotions and moods can also impact how we perceive colors, as certain colors may evoke certain feelings or associations in our minds.

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