The Life in My Years

juxtaposition
noun
jux·​ta·​po·​si·​tion ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzi-shən

: the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect.

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This week Patti challenges us to find images that invite the viewer to weigh objects in a photo against each other.

Banner photo: The juxtaposition of colors in a mustard field near Half Moon Bay, California.

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In most cities it’s not hard to find examples of old versus new. In the image below the Golden Gate Bridge looms over Civil War era, Fort Point.

Below, an 18th century gravestone in St. Matthew’s Anglican Cemetery in Quebec City, Canada sits next to diners enjoying their meals at a bistro. Old and new. Alive and, well, not so much.

Below: In Krakow I found this interesting building that combined both old and new, as well as distressed on top of renovated.

The image below, taken from California Street illustrates the juxtaposition of old (the brick building in the lower right), the new (a mid 20th century building), and the newest (the Salesforce Tower). The image also shows San Francisco’s cultural history.

Juxtaposing shapes

Below the “corncob towers” of Chicago contrast with the rectangular skyscrapers that surround it.

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It’s a matter of size

Below: There’s a break just off the rocky headland where Fort Point is located on the south shore of San Francisco’s Golden Gate. Here, one can go watch surfers brave the frigid waters, the jagged shoreline and the treacherous current. The surfer is dwarfed by the massive tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Serenity before turbulence

At Gray Whale Cove just south of San Francisco, the shore birds paid no mind to the violence of the ocean just a few feet away.

Visit Patti Moed’s Pilotfish Blog to see more impressions of juxtaposition in photography.