One of the most persistent myths in photography is that every great image must tell a story. I disagree — and I think it’s holding photographers back.

Where This Myth Comes From

The idea likely evolved from photojournalism, where the goal is to distill a 300–500 word story into a single frame. When a journalistic image succeeds, it answers who, what, when, where, and why in one shot. That’s a powerful standard — but it’s only one corner of what photography can be.

Photography isn’t just about capturing reality. It’s also art. And art doesn’t owe anyone a narrative.

Juxtaposition in Landscape Photography: An Alternative Approach

For the past several years, I’ve been developing my Juxtaposition in Landscape Photography project, which lives firmly on the art end of the art/journalism spectrum. I’ve also taught the concepts behind it in classes, workshops, and lectures.

The idea is simple: combine two or three concrete compositional elements and juxtapose them — letting the tension or harmony between them do the work.

The Haiku Connection

The concept comes directly from haiku, the Japanese poetic form I’ve written as a hobby for years.

Most people learned haiku in high school as a syllable-counting exercise — five, seven, five — and the results were often closer to limericks than poetry. But traditional haiku works differently. The writer places two concrete images side by side to produce an “aha moment” in the reader: a sudden flash of insight or recognition.

In my photography project, I pursue the same effect. The aha moment arrives first as pure visual impact; the viewer is struck by the beauty of the image. At a deeper level, it comes when they begin to notice how the compositional elements are echoing, contrasting, or expanding upon each other. Again, concepts rooted in haiku.

Emotion Over Narrative

I’m not trying to tell a story with these images. I’m trying to evoke an emotional response.

It’s time to retire the myth that every good photo must tell a story. A better standard for photography as art:

Every good photo must evoke emotion.

The story is optional. The feeling is not.