This photograph is the reflection of large boat masts on the water around Martha’s Vineyard. When looking at it, photographer Marcia Smilack hears cello music. And when the picture is turned upside down, she hears violins.

A Different Sense of Things May 26, 2007

On the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Marcia Smilack is probably spending her weekend photographing reflections on the water. Marcia does that a lot — she tries to capture not just what she sees, but what she hears, smells and feels. Smilack has synesthesia, a neurological condition that affects the senses. It causes people to have some odd experiences: they might see the color blue when they see the letter A, or hear chimes when looking at a picture. Nabokov, Kandinsky, and Miles Davis are believed to have had synesthesia. Independent Producers Ann Heppermann and Kara Oehler spend a weekend with Smilack, trying to sense what she senses.

You can see more of Smilack’s work here: http://www.marciasmilack.com/