Juxtaposition in nature photography

October 05, 2020 • Leave a Comment

"J" is for juxtaposition.

Yeah, that's right, I'm pulling out the fancy college words! It was challenging to think of J-words that are relevant to nature photography, but I did it - I found one. Thank goodness - this one was keeping me up at night.

I don't know what I'm going to do when I get to "X". . . I'll worry about that later. Let's talk juxtaposition!

What is juxtaposition anyway? The dictionary defines it as two things being placed close together with contrasting effect. In nature photography, there all kinds of juxtapositions.

Let's take a tour, shall we?

Note: Hover over any picture for additional information

Balance: A composition technique where objects are of equal visual weight.

Boulders balanced against each other and the night sky

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California

The tree balanced with the rock

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Yellow Aspen Leaf balanced against yellow reflections

Carson River, California

A large and small boulder balancing each other, and an orange desert contrasting a blue sky

Joshua Tree National Park, California

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Beauty vs Harsh: Two opposing conditions contrasted against each other

A colorful sunset contrasting a harsh landscape

Devils Golf course, Death Valley National Park, California

A lightning storm contrasted against a serene landscape

Valley View, Yosemite National Park, California

A delicate flower blooming in the harsh desert environment

Desert Gold, Death Valley National Park, California

Complimentary Colors: colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel

A purple Iris contrasting with a yellow landscape

Iris, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

An orange jellyfish contrasting the blue background

Jellyfish, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

The blue sky blending into the orange sunset

Sunset, Yachats, Oregon

A red Hibiscus contrasting with green foliage

Hibiscus, Maui, Hawaii

Contrast: dark/shadow contrasted against light/highlights.

The sky, plant, and ripples contrasted against white sand and clouds

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

The brightly lit water contrasting against the shaded rocks

Tamarack Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

The contrast of sunlight and shadow on El Capitan

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California

Man made vs nature: man made objects or structures set in the natural environment.

A man made cactus in the middle of a desert sunrise

Cactus sculpture, Anza Borrego State Park, California

A man made light combined with a remote desert

Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California

A man made structure in the Chihuahuan desert

Dorgan House, Big Bend National Park, Texas

Monochrome vs color: a bright or vivid object set against a monochrome or neutral background

The bright autumn leaf against the granite slab

Autumn leaf, Yosemite National Park, California

A bright mushroom on the monochrome forest floor

Mushroom, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

An emerald green tree and moss against a muted granite wall

Tree on granite wall, Yosemite National Park, California

A brightly colored door compared to a muted structure

Doorway, Tanzania

Movement vs Stillness: a contrast of one subject that is moving while the other is still.

Fast moving water against stationary rock

Hole in the Wall Beach, California

Stars moving against a still landscape

Star trails, Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park, California

A shipwreck remains still against the crashing ocean waves

Shipwreck, Salinas, California

Scale: positioning a small subject against another that is large or grand in scale.

The scale of a nearby Joshua tree with several distant trees, and the contrast of the Orange-Blue sunset

Joshua Tree National Park, California

The massive falls dwarfing the attraction's visitors

Niagara Falls, Canada

A hiker gives scale to the massive bamboo forest

Hiker and bamboo forest, Maui, Hawaii

The scale of the people next to the massive balloons

Balloon races, Reno, Nevada

That's it! I hope you enjoyed this post on juxtaposition, either through improved photographic technique - or simply for a quick and fun photo tour.

Stay tuned to see what "K" is for. . .

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