Seeing is like any perceptive process is selective. We see certain things consciously other we overlook. This is useful protection against an otherwise not hand able information overload. But what astonishes me again and again how punctually people see.
When I walk past someone through the streets, my companion points me to a nice picture book in a shop window or to the cat at the window or to the colourful jacket a passing person is wearing. These are all things that I take barely notice of because they are often too small for me or come too late in my field of vision. However, I notice the painting of the house on the other side of the street. Or that the road points exactly towards the church. Or that the cobblestones in the foreshortening make up a funny pattern. I am not quite sure whether "normal vision" people do see all this but just not consider it worth mentioning or whether the punctual details are so distracting that these "greater details" are no longer being perceived. Sometimes I point out one of "my details" to my companion and I am usually met with astonishment. I then imagine that with my Stargardt I see more clearly the background where all the "little details" are played out. I see that the train station is completely plastered with advertising space, but have no idea what the publicity is advertising. I see that the curvature of the beach swings by and how it fits into the hills behind it, but can not say anything about the people enjoying the beach and the latest fashion in swimwear. I see the composition of a painting, but do not recognize whether the hair of the Madonna has been painted especially naturally or not.
I think this type of vision has also an effect on my interests. I am fascinated by large scales, the long periods of time and the big picture. I deal with climate change, tectonic plate shifts or star formation. The large historical context excites me more than today's events in the news. Or from my professional life: I am interested in communication means and channels and less on the information itself. This gives me a slightly different perspective and sometimes insights that others do not have so quickly. On the other hand, I don't get some important details that would be needed for the evaluation of a situation. Or to use a proverbial saying: My problem is not that sometimes I can not see the forest because of all the trees. Much more often I do not see the trees because of all the forest.