14-NOV-2008
Over the top, Matmata, Tunisia, 2008
The compression effect of my long 400mm telephoto lens creates an incongruous juxtaposition by making it seem as if a tractor is somehow riding on top of these Matmata buildings. I saw the tractor gradually ascending the steep incline behind the buildings and waited for it to reach the right spot for this juxtaposition.
05-NOV-2008
American war cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia, 2008
Nearly 3,000 American soldiers, sailors and coast guardsmen who died fighting German General Rommel’s Afrika Corps in World War II are buried in this cemetery, located near the site of the ancient Carthaginian city destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. The cemetery links two wars, fought two thousand years apart. The servicemen who are buried here are linked in death as well, and I use telephoto lens compression to draw a long row of them together, juxtaposing cross upon cross, incongruously broken only by a Star of David at the midpoint of the image.
15-MAY-2008
Bear cub, Yosemite National Park, California, 2008
A long line of cars was parked alongside of one of Yosemite’s main roads, meaning that somebody had spotted something of great interest. It was a bear cub, wandering through the forest by itself, no doubt dispatched by its mother to learn the ways of the world on its own. While it stayed considerable distance from the road, and we could go no further than the edge of the road, we could follow it by walking parallel to it as it proceeded along its mid-day amble in the forest. At one point, I noticed that the bear cub was heading for an area where there wildflowers, and I focused on two of them that were just in front of a pine tree. The bear cub must have been listening to the conversation in my brain, because it slowly walked right up to the flowers I had in focus, allowing me to make this shot. By juxtaposing the bear cub with the wildflowers, I contrast two vulnerabilities. The bear cub is a newcomer to the forest, and the tiny flowers are prone to being eaten or crushed.
08-JAN-2008
Man with a hoe, somewhere near the Vietnam/Cambodian border, 2008
The iconic image of a man with a conical hat and a hoe on his back, trudging alongside of a riverbank, gets an updated context to work with here. There are two utility wires hanging just over his head. Some photographers would use Photoshop to take them out because they "spoil" what would be an otherwise idyllic image. But to me, the wires are essential components of communication. By juxtaposing the traditional scene with those wires so symbolic of the contemporary world, I tell the story of what awaits him, and all of Vietnam.
03-JAN-2008
Fantasies, Vinh Long, Vietnam, 2008
Two women emerge from a wedding dress store in Vinh Long, a store that trades largely on dreams. Vietnamese weddings are often massive community events, and the bride changes dresses several times during the ritual. The women probably work in this store – their businesslike outfits and attitudes contrast to the stylized mannequins in the store. They, like the motorbike parked just outside the store, represent the real world. I juxtapose them against the three figures inside the store that represent the stuff that dreams are made of.
11-SEP-2007
Chanting nuns, Ji Ming Temple, Nanjing, China, 2007
All of these nuns are chanting their prayers, but some are doing it from memory, while another does it from the book. This juxtaposition speaks of differences in experience. The nuns at left have probably been chanting this prayer for some time, while the nun at right has not.
12-SEP-2007
Flea Market, Chaotian Palace, Nanjing, China, 2007
A maze of merchants sells bric-a-brac, antiques, and relics of China's Cultural Revolution in a permanent flea market on the grounds of this Ming Dynasty palace complex. Among the items on sale was this statue of Mao, which seems to be lost amidst the shadows. By juxtaposing Mao against the dark background and the texture of the surrounding tarps that cover the goods during off-hours, I imply that he is a figure out of the past rather than the present.
07-AUG-2007
Photographer, Lookout Studio, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2007
Photography at the Grand Canyon is overwhelmingly difficult, at best. The subject is best worked at dawn or twilight, when light and shadow sculpt the massive rock formations into coherent forms. It is a vast subject – almost two three hundred miles long – yet most of us are limited by time to shooting the canyon from a relatively few well known vantage points. In this case, a photographer is shooting the canyon at sunset from the stone viewing porch of the Lookout Studio, which was built in the early 20th century as a gift shop/lookout point. The great American Southwestern architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter designed it to harmonize with its setting. I juxtaposed this photographer working from the stone terrace of Lookout Studio, against the enormous bulk of the reddish rock looming before him from the canyon floor. He is small, and his task is large. He has a challenge before him – he must somehow avoid copying an image he has seen time and time again. He must find new life in an old idea. And that is the story I am trying to tell with this juxtaposition.
06-JUL-2007
Concentration, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, Colorado, 2007
I was drawn to the incongruous juxtaposition featured in this mural – the array of colorful birds seem at odds with the soulful expression of the woman. I saw this mural as a background context and photographed numerous festival patrons walking in front of it, including this woman in the white shirt. Just as she passed into the space between the birds and the sad looking woman, I was able to create another juxtaposition. I was delighted to see this woman raise her hand to her face, as if she was lost in thought. Her raised arm matches the angular flow of the arm of the woman behind her. She never sees the mural that we see. The image becomes a story of concentration, doubt, and introspection.
12-JUN-2007
Art imitates life, Petaluma, California, 2007
Part of the 109 foot long Petaluma Heritage Mural, painted in 1998 by Steve Della Maggiora, makes a perfect backdrop for the real thing. By juxtaposing a live tree with a similar tree in the mural, I’ve tried to add both depth perspective and incongruity to the story.
Shortly after posting this image, I was delighted to receive the following pbase message from the artist himself:
" hey, Phil-
I turned up your gallery photo of the Petaluma Mural tree and the real one in a search of my name (something I do periodically to see what's up) and it's cool that you noticed the similarity between the two.
That was not a mistake. I used the real tree as a model for the painted one.
No one has ever mentioned it to me -- if they noticed, they never said anything about it.
Your photos are great. Carry on!
-steve della maggiora"
18-DEC-2006
Watching for customers, Erg Chebbi, Sahara Desert, Morocco, 2006
I was up early to catch the first light on the dunes surrounding our remote desert camp, and noticed a man lurking in the golden sand. He proved to be a self-appointed “dune guide” who, for a small tip, helps tourists climb to the top of the steep dunes to watch the sunrise. He waits here in the bitter cold for customers. By juxtaposing him against tents full of still sleeping tourists I tell the story of entrepreneurship. The fact that he seems half buried in the dunes symbolizes the difficulty of earning a livelihood here – not every tourist wants to climb to the top of the dunes, and many of those that do would rather make the journey by themselves.
14-DEC-2006
National archaeology museum, Rabat, Morocco, 2006
Cats freely roam the interior of this museum, just as they no doubt stalked the streets of the nearby ancient Roman city of Volubilis, the original site of these statues. I juxtapose the cat, which took an interest in my camera, with the statues to make this point.