A method for representing the structural information in a biological or physical sample is disclosed. In this method, a time-frequency representation of the spatial distribution within a sample is transformed into a color representation of the data. Furthermore, due to the directional sensitivity of the method for gathering the data, information about the structural anisotropy of the sample can also be encoded from the data. The application of this method to one or more regions within the sample enables a map to be generated which clearly illustrates quantitative measures of the structures present.