The fragrant pictures of Ester Grass Vergara

How to capture scent on film? She might not have intended so, but photographer Ester Grass Vergara's works ooze fragrant aromas with their rich hues and warm tones. Some pictures and visual elements seem to be more fragrant than others, which got me to ponder around the subject of synesthesia. What it essentially means is that a sense happening in one part of the body will stimulate another sense in another part of the body. Some people have a lifelong experience of this, and will always hear some sounds as colors, or involuntarily associate a certain color with a certain number. Ideastesia on the other hand describes a situation where a more abstract concept will automatically link to another in your brain, such as the perception of a certain number as a gender, or the visualisation of the calendar year having a certain shape or form (mine is round). Essentially, people experiencing synesthesia will report a blending of the five senses. 

Synesthesia or not, we usually need our other senses in order for our noses to function properly. The sense of smell is very much linked to our vision: most people cannot recognize even the most familiar scents when they are separated of their source. With all of this said, our senses can function together in interesting ways, and we surely can train our brain to perceive more than what it is immediately given. Some even say that you can train and enhance synesthetic abilities with meditation. 

Let's practice: What can you smell in these images?

All images via Ester Grass.