Stand-alone photos from Canada 2025
Good photos, at least those I consider good, generally fall into two categories: they are either stand-alone or part of a story. Any time I’m fortunate enough to photograph new locations over long periods, I inevitably end up with a handful of stand-alone photos (if I’m lucky), a decent collection that benefits from being part of a story, and a bucketful of junk photos that will never see the light of day. What’s the difference between stand-alone and story photos? In my opinion, a stand-alone photo can interest someone who wasn’t there when it was taken. It contains something in the lighting, composition, subject matter, or a mixture of elements that makes it strong enough to bear the weight of scrutiny without the support of other images. Because of the criteria I listed, they are rare. On the other hand, story photos, while still well-lit and composed, are only of interest if they are included as part of a larger narrative. They still have value because they are necessary to give a viewer context and a sense of place.
In my first post about my trip to Canada, all the photos, except possibly one, are story photos. Without the busker context, I wouldn’t have a reason for posting them. In the coming weeks, I plan to post a series of photo stories, as these tell the story of my trip, and may be of value to someone who might be interested in embarking on a similar adventure one day.
In this post, however, I am posting what I hope are good examples of stand-alone photos. From the perspective of photography as an art form, these are my favorite photos from Quebec City and Montreal.
Click photos to enlarge
