[Jewelry making - Article 00907] - Re: [Orchid] Digital Zoom

[Karen Goeller]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    I've been reading the thread on "digital zoom" with some interest,
    because I think it captures well what happens in the mind of folks
    who work on very precise things.  Whether a surgeon or a jeweler,
    there is an "immersion" that must occur in the work that promotes the
    achievement of this zoom effect -- when the vision literally excludes
    everything else. 

    It's NOT a matter of whether the eyesight is enhanced by magnifiers
    or the fingertip manipulation occurs through robotics... it's really
    an issue of intensity of focus on a very precise area. 

    BUT.... I think there's also a very big danger in this digital zoom
    phenomenon.  If we work on the same piece day after day, we begin to
    "know" it in a way that leads to mistakes.  We begin to fool
    ourselves into thinking that our digital zoom has given us an
    intimate knowledge of this piece of jewelry, so that we no longer
    have to LOOK as closely at it.  We start making assumptions based on
    what we've seen in the past and our brains begin to fill in the
    blanks.  We start seeing what we expect to see, rather than what's
    actually there (the paradigm phenomenon). 

    I studied oil painting seriously for several years with a wonderful
    teacher. One of my consistent habits (that he promptly set out to
    break) was to immerse myself in a painting until it was "done."  And
    then I was never quite satisfied with the result.  He forced me to
    keep my paints and brushes on the other side of the room from my
    canvas, so that each time I needed to reload my brush I had to walk
    away from the canvas and then "re-approach" it as I was walking back
    to it. Each time, I was getting a fresher and broader view. Then,
    when I would think I was getting close to closure on it, he would
    have me put it away for a week or more, sitting with its face to the
    wall so it couldn't be seen.  It was truly amazing how different the
    work would look to me -- how incredibly clearly I could see exactly
    what needed to be done to complete my vision -- when I looked at it
    the next time. 

    So while digital zoom is a wonderful thing, we also need to learn to
    step back and see the bigger (literally) picture. 

Best wishes,
Karen Goeller
kgoeller AT nolimitations.com
http://www.nolimitations.com
Handcrafted and Unique Artisan Jewelry


____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________