Project 52 - Week 41: Juxtaposition

Yep.  It's a mouthful.  Juxtaposition. What does it mean?  How do we achieve it?

Juxtaposition can be achieved by using two (or more) objects/subjects and highlighting their differences visually.  But, you can also use concepts, instead of physical objects, to make your point.  If you use objects, they both need to be strong independently of each other, so that the viewer is drawn to each one for its own merit.  Then, and only then, will the viewer begin to compare each to the other. 

If you use concepts (mood, irony, etc.) we need to make sure the viewer can understand them.

I did another inventory of my images this past week and found that I use juxtaposition more with people than with animals.  However, it is a great tool, and from this point forward, I plan on watching for opportunities to juxtapose images when possible.

Here is my image for this week using scale (or size) in my composition.

These two cuties caught my attention immediately because of the size difference.  They now reside in the same household, and it looks to me like things are going very well, don't you think?  Size may be the easiest thing to capture when it comes to juxtaposition.

Then, in going back through some photos, I found a people-oriented photo that used a concept as juxtaposition.  In this case I used some irony to debunk a stereotype, and illustrate the concept of how small boys today have wider and broader horizons.  The fact that there are dinosaurs on his shirt and tulle just behind him, made for an interesting statement.  But everyone knows that tulle is pretty hard to resist in the land of frou-frou, no matter what is on your shirt.

Finally, I found a photo I completely forgot about, taken back in March of this year.  Again, there is a little bit of irony here, and some stalwart Sesame Street training in "one of these things is not like the other."  In this case, there are also more than two objects in the photo, and it always makes me laugh when I see it.  I am not sure who really belongs here, as there is most assuredly a cat on the throw cover, so I think Barney got it right.  Bethy and Lilah are cat-napping though, so it's a toss up.

So, think old/young, old/new, tall/short, big/little, angry/happy, or illustrate something conceptually that pits one idea against another and you have juxtaposition.  Now get out there and try it.  You are always welcome to post your results in the comments to any blog, whether it be on face book or the blog itself. 

Now, off with their heads.  Oh, wait.  That's a different story.  Now, off to the blog circle and more juxtapostioning.  This week you are starting with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography serving Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay area.  Happy Friday!