Photography Blog

Quebec City - Day 1
Stiles Watson Stiles Watson

Quebec City - Day 1

After a long travel day and great night’s sleep in our hotel room, the first full day in Quebec City did not start well for me. We woke and dressed as planned, but I didn’t get 10 steps out the hotel room door before my stomach committed mutiny.

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A European-Like Vacation for a Fraction of the Cost
Stiles Watson Stiles Watson

A European-Like Vacation for a Fraction of the Cost

When we arrived at Hotel Sainte-Anne on our first evening in Quebec City, Canada, it was already getting dark. Our room was cozy and inviting, so Jen and I had half a mind to stay in and call it a night. However, after the long trip, I was hungry, and there were a decent number of people still milling around the streets outside, so there was a small chance of getting a photo worth keeping. We were in a new country, and I wanted to explore!

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Stand-alone photos from Canada 2025
Stiles Watson Stiles Watson

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.

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Motion Blur
Stiles Watson Stiles Watson

Motion Blur

Inspired by Juan Fernando Arboleda (@jufarbol on Vero), who is starting a motion blur project, I took an opportunity while waiting for an appointment, to try my hand at it. The photo above is by far my favorite of over 200 taken on this day.

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