Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Juxtaposition. A Big Word For A Simple Concept

Juxtaposition is just another term that means that a photography has things in position that make sense. As a photographer, we're trying to put together an image that draws interest and juxtaposition is one way of doing that. To find a good juxtaposition, you have to work at it and look for it.

Finding things that just fit together is how we find a good juxtaposition. It's rare and fun when we find words that make an obvious juxtaposition for us.

Sunoco gas station sign with the sunrays.
Sun rays and the Sunoco sign just go together. 
Travelodge welcomes NASA airplane.
NASA airplane parked next to a Travelodge Motel. Extreme traveling.
Juxtaposition doesn't always have to be something witty and humorous. Those rare finds just emphasize the point that adding meaningful things together add value to the photo by making it more interesting. In this photo, I used the leading line of a fence rail to a woman whose watching the waterfall. This addition wasn't so much that it made the photo to busy and it told the story that people come to this enjoy this waterfall often.

Woman viewing the waterfall at Chagin Falls, Ohio.
A lady enjoys the calming power of a waterfall at Chagrin Falls, Ohio. 
Noticing a good juxtaposition comes from being out there taking photos. They just happen and you train your eye to look for them. They can be forced for posed photos, but it's usually so obvious to the viewer that they it may actually distract them. It can also be found by working a subject until you find one or waiting for one to occur, such as a person or animal walking into the scene.

Great photos tell stories and juxtaposition is major tool for telling the story or creating a scene for the viewer to make their own. Enjoy finding them as you would enjoy treasure in a treasure hunt.

No comments:

Post a Comment