One of the most classic techniques of modern street photography is juxtaposition. Simply put, it is about bringing two unrelated things together to compose interesting snapshots that look funny, puzzling or surreal.

The secret behind juxtaposition is to find the most interesting thing that you want to capture first – something that may look like nothing at first but sparks your interest in some way. In this photo, I just love the vivid colour of the sunshade and the direction of the shadows cast outside of a butcher shop in Morocco. I waited patiently for someone in an orange dress that could match the front of the colourful shop to pass by, thinking that it would make a great photo juxtaposition. 

While I waited, a motorcycle stopped by and the delivery man got off to deliver some bread. At that moment, I noticed that the colour of his blanket matched the front of the butcher shop so I tried to position them closer and linked them together by the line of the shadow. I finally got the shot I wanted when he come back to set the orange blanket down again.

My go-to camera for capturing unexpected moments

I always rely on my Alpha 7C to capture my juxtaposed shots as it has an extremely reliable 10fps continuous shooting function. This helps me to capture many shots in a second, allowing me to pick the best shot easily even when I encounter unexpected events with subjects moving at high speeds. The contrail shot below is a good example because if I had selected a shot two to three frames before this final one, some trails would poke out of the man in the foreground and ruin the overall picture.

Change your perception of the world around you

When playing around with juxtapositions, try to view the world through a child's eyes. Children have stronger imaginations than adults so it could help you to better picture and imagine how a subject and scenario can be put together in a funny photo. After the idea pops up, you then carefully compose a shot that allows you to capture your intended photo.

Before you begin, try looking for a potential subject before looking for another subject or scenario to match it with. You could try your hand at juxtaposition with commonly found billboards or posters that are printed to the edge, which makes it easier for you to link the poster with the subject in the background, as shown above. You have to use a narrow F-stop to blend two subjects together and push the shutter at the right moment.

Give it a shot

Are you ready to capture your own unique juxtapositions? Show us all how creative you can be and how vivid your imagination can be with your photos! Don’t forget to share your snapshots and tag #Alpha7CPlayground when you’re done. Have fun!