Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Rockaway Beach, Queens. Summer 2016.
This photograph comes from an article A Father, a Son, a Disease and a Camera. In this photograph you see an example of figure to ground because while there is contrast between the ocean and the sky, you get drawn to the small head in the far back center making it be the main focus of the photograph.
This is a photo that Melissa took of four chairs aligned diagonally. There are three blue chairs and one black chair in the center making it stand out which show characteristics of figure to ground.
What is similar about both photos is that the surroundings define the subject. The ocean makes the man look vulnerable. The other gray chairs make the black chair standout.