Patti sets this weeks Lens-Artist Challenge – The power of juxtaposition. Her original challenge post can be found here. I’m glad Patti included a definition of juxtaposition because I had no idea what the term meant. My initial thoughts were ‘I do this a lot’ but when I went looking through my images I realised I don’t !

Here’s a definition I found for children which made the term quite plain for me: Juxtaposition for kids means putting two different things side-by-side (like a tiny mouse next to a huge elephant) so you can easily see how they are different or similar, making one seem even more special or funny in comparison, like a hero in bright white versus a villain in dark black. It’s a way for writers and artists to make things stand out by showing them next to opposites or just plain different things to create a strong feeling or idea.

So, applying the above definition here’s a few more examples.

Finally here’s an example of juxtapositions in nature that I spotted today in our local woodland. It’s not immediately obvious and two weeks ago I wouldn’t have had a clue what I was looking at, other than the tree trunk is covered in Turkey Tail Fungi. However, I’ve recently been reading a book called ‘The Walkers Guide To Outdoor Clues and Signs’ by Tristan Gooley. There’s so much more going on out there than I ever realised.

So, that trunk tree has fallen in the opposite direction of our prevailing south westerly winds here in the UK. Trees mostly do that. This has allowed the Turkey Tail Fungi to grow on the south eastern side of the trunk, which would be getting most of the light and warmth during the day. The lichen is growing on the north western side of the trunk, the cooler, darker side. I also I now know that this has created a Juxtaposition between both sides of the fallen tree trunk.

I hope this doesn’t sound patronising. It’s just stuff I find interesting and as I said, I wouldn’t have had a clue myself two weeks ago!

Thank you to Patti for hosting this weeks challenge. It’s certainly given me food for thought. Juxtapositions are something I’ll be making a conscious effort to incorporate into my photography.

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All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved.