How can you portray smell in a picture?
Chosen Answer:
Generally, the subject itself can evoke memories of certain odors. The memories of smell are some of the strongest and clearest of all the kinds of memoies the mind can hold. A single, tiny whiff of certain aromas can trigger a flood of memories. Driving by a bakery can set off a string of memories of childhood, with mom or grandma baking bread or cookies and of cozy home, snug blankets, Christmas mornings, etc. Realtors use this trick when showing some homes to potential buyers, by having some bread or cookies baking in the oven while the buyers are present. Good aromas trigger good memories which, in turn, trigger good feelings about ones surroundings.
So, either a very realistic portrayal of food, or a food setting, or a skillful impressionistic image can evoke a smell memory. In an unsubtle example, imaging what a painting of a plate containing a juicy steak, smothered in grilled onions, surrounded by a buttery baked potato and a side of baked beans, or corn, or peas, etc.
Or, another example, the famous Norman Rockwell painting of a Thanksgiving feast being laid out at a table full of family. Even now, I can “smell” the roasted turkey skin, fresh baked rolls, garlicky mashed potatoes, and yes, even the odor of my uncle’s “Dixie Peach” pommade in his hair.
But other kinds of images, besides food have distinctive, associated smell memories. The salty tang of the seashore, or, added to it, the fishy smell of the wharf. The sharp, “pine” smell of a redwood forest. The earthy smell of even the cleanest barns and stables. The surprisingly fresh and clean smell of the top of a baby’s head. The fresh dirt smell of the earth right after a spring rain.
by: Vince M
on: 16th September 09