Why Derek Lee Photography?

I am fascinated by the parallels we can draw between our human minds and the capabilities of modern digital cameras, and in particular the relationships (at both the structural and processing levels) between visual perception and our interpretation of the world - with the inevitable consequences this has for our emotional reactions. It is perception that drives our feelings and emotions.

This website is primarily a vehicle to explore the inter-relationships between photography and psychology.

Let’s be honest - it is also a showcase for my photographs, a chance to share them with the wider world - and offering an opportunity for the wider world to purchase the images in a variety of formats!

Please contact me with any requests regarding my images (e.g., for prints, digital downloads, licensing enquiries).

A limited number of items for sale can be found at Tilted Horizon Studio .

Perception and Emotion

Perception is the interactive and constructive process by which we know our world. It involves our sensory organs, their neural projections into our brain, and complex interconnections within and between various cortical and subcortical areas.

Perception is not passive. We create reality, and how the raw data is processed is influenced by our previous experiences, how we are feeling at the time (emotionally and physically - a jar of sweets looks bigger when we are hungry) and our expectations - our view of the future.

Emotions are important sources of information - they motivate us to behave in (evolutionarily) adaptive ways. The areas of the brain involved in the generation and control of emotions are intimately linked to perceptual processes and to our higher cortical structures. There is an uneasy tension between our deep-seated gut feelings and immediate reactions to situations and our rational thinking processes. One of our key developmental tasks is to tame our more primitive responses in order to live in society.