Juxtaposition

Post Falls, ID

It seems that the word “juxtaposition” has been used to describe artists' works in exhibits, catalogs, and artist statements forever. Photography is not different in this respect from any other area of art; many photographers have made bodies of work around just the idea of juxtaposition. But what exactly is juxtaposition, and why should it matter to you?

Essential juxtaposition is placing two or more things close together, such as within the frame, to create a contrasting or exciting effect. In simplest terms, it refers to looking at relationships between subjects, exploring how they relate, and forcing the viewer to ask questions or ponder ideas. This is important to photographers because relationships make for more exciting images; a basic image can be crafted well but still be dull to look at with no life to the image. Most photographers who are new to the craft point their lens at the subject and only over time evolve their work to start taking pictures of relationships. This mindset change can make the most significant difference between taking snapshots and creating photos.

Juxtapositions can take many different forms, both exciting and unexpected. These include big versus small, near versus far, light versus dark, human versus object, and organic versus artificial. Any combination of opposing concepts or ideas can create a juxtaposition for the photographer to explore, in doing so, they can learn to see the world around them in new ways. Looking for opposites in the world around you is a great way to train the mind to see juxtaposition, helping you capture the moment when it presents itself.

The image above has multiple juxtapositions, such as near versus far in the relationship between the moon and the water tower or warm versus cool in the relationship between the cool blue sky and the warm orange setting sun. The juxtaposition makes this image more exciting; without the color shift or with a sky devoid of the moon, it would be boring. However, the simple act of exploring relationships in the image, not just pointing the camera at the subject of the water tower, makes for an exciting image.