Juxtaposition

/ˌjəkstəpəˈziSH(ə)n/
Term:
Description: The act of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. In photography, juxtaposition of subject matter creates a visual contrast between elements. The differences and contrast can be used to create interest, emphasize a subject or concept, or add to the storytelling effect. Here are a few examples of how photographers and cinematographers use juxtaposition in their work. 1) Juxtaposition of colors - Visual artists will sometimes use contrasting colors or selective color, where everything in a photo is in Grayscale except a single object. 2) Juxtaposition of size - Visual artists will sometimes place elements of different sizes to emphasize the largeness or smallness of an object. 3) Juxtaposition of emotion - Visual artists will place elements with opposite or contrasting emotion for storytelling effect. For example, placing the emotion of suffering in a scene with laughter and happiness will emphasize the suffering. 4) Juxtaposition of characters - A visual artist can also juxtapose character types, bringing together heroes and villains and other characters thought to be opposites of each other.

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