8 Of The Biggest Photographic Clichés [Archive] - AusPhotography:: Australia's Premier Photography Forum::

ApolloLXII

15-01-2012, 3:58am

1: THE ARMS LENGTH SELF PORTRAIT (SELFIES) - Most commonly seen on Facebook where almost everbody present in the shot has to pull some kind of weird face or leer at the camera (usually a mobile phone camera) as a means of expressing just how much fun they are having. This is hardly photographic in the strictest sense and just achieves nothing more than a snapshot of people acting stupid.

2: THE HEADLESS NUDE - The idea behind this is so that the person posing for the photo won't be recognised. It's also the same sort of technique used to persuade girlfriends and wives to be the model in lieu of actually hiring someone professional to do the job. As most of these kinds of shots are done by amateurs, the results very rarely look any good.

3: A CHILD'S FACE SMEARED WITH FOOD OR DIRT - If the subject is the child, they will say that it is cute. In my opinion, I'd rather see a cute smile on a child's face instead of food or dirt which has a degree of repulsiveness to it. YUK!

4: SUNSET/SUNRISE - The sun rises and sets each day and as DSLR cameras begin to proliferate, so does the number of sunrise/sunset shots. There are two distinct types - one that has the sun rising/setting over a horizon and the other is compositionally formulaic involving foreground interest (eg: rocks), a rocky landscape extending away to the right into the middle ground with the setting/rising sun off set to the left. Most commonly seen in seascapes. Done to death and truly eye catching examples are a rarity.

5: COLOUR POPPING - An all Black and white shot with one prominent point of focus rendered in colour, for example, a red flower. Beginners should learn that Colour Popping doesn't suit a lot of images and those that continue using this technique should learn that it's a one trick pony who went lame a long time ago.

6: SHOTS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE - Unless you intend to shoot images for a photojournalism assignment, don't go bothering homeless people. It could be said that this is being exploitative and, as with any other human being, classed as being intrusive. Sit down and talk with them first and always ask permission to take their picture.

7: SOFT or MILKY WATER - A technique involving the slowing of the shutter speed that renders water into a softer type of texture or as a mist. It's been done to death, particularly in the U.K. where some magazines rehash articles about getting that "milky effect" from time to time.

8: OVERLY MANIPULATED PHOTOS - Photgraphs that look "weird" from having far too many effects and processes applied in Photoshop. Quite often, this kind of thing just kills a good photograph!

ricktas

15-01-2012, 8:01am

old dog

15-01-2012, 9:04am

I really feel that you are not a follower of any/most of these and agree totally with Rick here. I think the person who put forward these thought provoking points of disinterest is one of those Grumpy Old Men/Women I have seen on the tele..:D

Kym

15-01-2012, 9:37am

While any of the Clichés are valid for some 'togs sometimes, it's also good to try and do something different!

All beginners should do some Clichéd shots just as a learning exercise.

Eg. Everyone should do a milky water at some point for no other reason but to learn slow shutter speed and controlling the light.
Ditto HDR, PP manipulation, family photos of kids with dirty faces.

Then, once these have been learned, try something different, get creative!

Clichés are very useful, just don't limit yourself.

terry.langham

15-01-2012, 9:58am

arthurking83

15-01-2012, 10:24am

I...... I really wanted to do something other sunrise seascapes, but could never find the time to branch and consequently barely shot anything. Won't be happening again this year, if I have time for a sunrise I will be shooting it, .....

+1 :th3:

ApolloLXII

15-01-2012, 10:55am

Cliches yes, but I see nothing 'wrong' with any of them, and the person who wrote it (I assume you are quoting what is written above and it is not your words), seems to have written it in a manner that makes it seem derogatory.

The vast majority of people do not take photos to win awards, sell copies or market themselves. I would say well over 95% of all photos taken everyday are not done so by 'photographers', but rather by people just wanting to capture a moment in their lives.

I reckon whoever wrote this, needs to get a life!

I don't see anything "wrong" with any of them either. Photography, like any other art form, is subjective to personal preference and opinion. For every 10 people who don't like something, you can find 10 people who do. I actually collected these from various sources on the web and rewrote them because some of them were rather inflammatory but my aim was to generate discussion about percepted "cliché" type photos and garner the opinions of people who are actually into photography to see what they thought.

I agree with Kym about beginners doing "cliché" type shots as a means of learning because that's how I cut my teeth in photography and would recommend the same to anybody starting out.

This "grumpy old man" is now off to "get his life" but just wishes that it would stop interfering with his photography. :D

Xenedis

15-01-2012, 10:59am

4: SUNSET/SUNRISE - The sun rises and sets each day and as DSLR cameras begin to proliferate, so does the number of sunrise/sunset shots. There are two distinct types - one that has the sun rising/setting over a horizon and the other is compositionally formulaic involving foreground interest (eg: rocks), a rocky landscape extending away to the right into the middle ground with the setting/rising sun off set to the left. Most commonly seen in seascapes. Done to death and truly eye catching examples are a rarity.

[...]

7: SOFT or MILKY WATER - A technique involving the slowing of the shutter speed that renders water into a softer type of texture or as a mist. It's been done to death, particularly in the U.K. where some magazines rehash articles about getting that "milky effect" from time to time.

I shoot a lot of seascapes, and naturally many such images contain those elements.

It's just as well that I don't need to justify myself to anyone.

When you think about it, there are very few photographers who are doing something truly unique.

Most of the images you see have all been done before, and could just as easily by labelled as cliché shots by someone who has seen too many of them.

dbax

15-01-2012, 11:01am

I reckon the challenge is to try and get all the Cliches into the one shot :p

Xenedis

15-01-2012, 11:02am

I spent a lot of last year not taking photos because I felt I was only taking cliche photos. I really wanted to do something other sunrise seascapes, but could never find the time to branch and consequently barely shot anything. Won't be happening again this year, if I have time for a sunrise I will be shooting it, and as I live near the sea there will be plenty of seascapes. Hopefully I will also have time to branch out as well, but I won't be banking on it again. Considering we all lead busy work lives, I would think there is a lot of people in the same situation as me.

The first thing you need to learn after you understand light, composition, exposure, etc., is not to give a damn what other people think.

If seascapes is what you do, do it, do it well and enjoy it.

It's what I do, too, and while some might arbitrarily label our images as cliché images, there are many more who will enjoy them.

Xebadir

15-01-2012, 11:42am

Hmm, you see I wouldn't be calling just those cliche...many of the techniques of those who have posted above combine a number of these so-called cliche elements - Sunrise and Sunset can provide a lovely light for many other features...not just the seascape (Sorry only peeple I like the SR/SS type shots from round here are Xenedis and Dtoh....there is something way more there than a cliche, nothing personal for the rest of you :confused013).

I like to generally play with the cliche idea and take it to abstraction....for example if one follow the above to the letter this would be cliche by point 1...but is it really cliche?
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/8923/lookingupweb.jpg

What about the use of HDR? to me I find it very cliche how many overly pushed HDR images there are out there. And yet some of my favourite images are carefully constructed HDR shots.

I would also say shots of lightning are mostly cliche...there is an almost formulaic composition to 99% of them and I find them utterly dull...and even if someone shoots something different they end up cropping to that formula.

I guess as Rick says, it all comes down to why the photograph is being taken. While certain shots might be cliche to us as photographers, they are capturing a moment of peoples lives and that makes them happy...so why not let them do it?

Brian500au

15-01-2012, 12:10pm

it is an interesting discussion.

Last year I spent a lot of time doing portrait and glamour photography (all cliché), but it really helped me learn about posing, lighting, DOF and PP. I made plenty of mistakes, but I learnt with every session. This year I will do more of the above but also expand my horizons. I have been talking to a few models about doing more than the standard lingerie / nude / implied glamour shot - think outside the box. I cannot say it will ever be unique, but I can say it will not be the "standard" shot. I have even gone as far as to have brainstorming sessions with models now - just to throw it out there.

I would never have the confidence to do this unless I had started like every body else in photography - getting better doing the standard cliché photograph (learning the various techniques). So as Kym suggested, cliché is a good place to start.

Lance B

15-01-2012, 12:21pm

Boy, after reading this, there are no other photo options left! :)

Xenedis

15-01-2012, 12:40pm

So as Kym suggested, cliché is a good place to start.

Definitely.

I'd wager that most of us start out shooting anything and everything, which includes the usual shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and other over-photographed subjects.

Sunrises and sunsets are very popular too.

Model shots also suffer from the repetition that many other model shots have: scantily-clad girl in front of backdrop or draped over car, or on all fours at the beach.

As you pointed out, learning is a big part of the process, and shooting done-to-death images is a good way to put that stuff into practice. It would be very rare for someone new to photography, who lacks understanding and experience, to go out there and do something revolutionary -- something nobody else has done.

Once a person has acquired the knowledge and experience, branching out into a relatively unique style of image is something that the creative-minded and original-in-thought can aspire to do; but it's hard to do that sort of thing without covering the basics, and shooting images of tired old subjects is a good way to build up that skill set.

Shelley

15-01-2012, 5:23pm

I don't think birding can be cliche, the processing can be I suppose. Bird on stick maybe, but some stuff can be unique if you are out in the field long enough.

Xenedis

15-01-2012, 5:38pm

Boy, after reading this, there are no other photo options left! :)

I might start a new trend: HDR images of the insides of lens caps.

Over-saturated, halated blackness just hasn't been recognised for its magnificence.

Xenedis

15-01-2012, 5:44pm

I don't think birding can be cliche, the processing can be I suppose. Bird on stick maybe, but some stuff can be unique if you are out in the field long enough.

Pretty much anything can be given the term cliché by someone who's done it to death, or has seen it done to death.

Here are just some:

HDR images of cathedral interiors;
city skylines at twilight;
birds in beautiful light with creamy backgrounds;
HDR images of abandoned asylums, factories, etc.;
swimsuit models on beaches;
city icons (SHB, SOH, etc.);
steam trains;
water droplets; and
smoke swirls.

Some people might be well and truly over that stuff, and while I don't care to see (or even shoot) another image of Sydney's famous bridge, for some people it's new and hasn't been done before -- by them.

At the end of the day, we're fortunate enough in most cases to shoot what we like, even if it doesn't appeal to some people who've seen or done it all before.

arthurking83

15-01-2012, 7:14pm

Not to mention macro, false colour Infra Red, black and white, film, resolution test charts, brick walls, the moon, the stars .. and everything else in between!
they're all clichés and there's nothing we can do about it.

An individual's level of tolerance for each of the subsets is the only significant perspective.
As already implied, what one person sees as a cliché, another sees it as an opportunity to partake in their preferred hobby, vocation or relaxation method.

For me, I now have no tolerance for skin smothered beauty portraits any longer.
But that is my preference .. similar but different to my preference for non instant and rehydrated hamburgers from the likes of Mc's and HJ's .. Try a proper greasy burger from the local burger specialist and the cliché of young folks happily devouring what amounts to toxic landfill also becomes irritating. If only those in the advertisements knew what they were really missing out on.

Brian500au

15-01-2012, 7:37pm

For me, I now have no tolerance for skin smothered beauty portraits any longer.

AK83 I hope you meant skin "smoothed" otherwise there might be a bit of blood and gore in some of your future shots :lol:

geoffsta

15-01-2012, 7:53pm

I might start a new trend: HDR images of the insides of lens caps.

I think I've done that to death as well. I do try to avoid them :D

soulman

15-01-2012, 7:57pm

I agree with others here that copying ideas is a good way to learn and it can be quite satisfying to create your own lush-waterfall-with-mossy-rocks-and-milky-water shots and other common photographic topics. For me though, the fun is in trying to find something new within the constraints of the fact that everything has been done. I've seen lots of great long exposure waterfall shots and it's not often I see a really good one, so I don't tend to seek them out or do them myself. Likewise with the over-saturated sea shore sunrise/sunset/stormcloud with rocks in the foreground. I just don't see any particular reason for me to rehash what has already been done so well, so many times before. If I want to see great beach shots, I can buy books of them, or spend time on Flickr or other photo sharing sites.

There are people here and no doubt on other sites like this one, some of whom have clearly outstanding skill, who seem to just keep taking the same photo over and over again. Obviously people have their reasons for doing this, but I don't understand the appeal. On the other hand, I see a bit of stuff from time to time that puts a new twist on an old theme and this is much more fun to view for me. It's not like it has to be oh-my-god-completely-fresh-and-oh-so-original or anything, but an honest attempt to see a familiar thing from a slightly different perspective is what makes for enjoyable music, writing and most other creative pursuits I find.

I think this is why some of the most interesting work I see here and elsewhere is done by beginners - because it's done before they start learning how it's done.

atky

15-01-2012, 8:29pm

What no mention of sport or motorsport Slow pans 2/4 fronts podium shots crash shots the list goes on and on.

arthurking83

15-01-2012, 8:54pm

I agree with others here that copying ideas is a good way to learn .....

actually don't think it's a good way to learn.
I've said this before and I kind of understand it only from my point of view and experience... you tend to get caught up with the same basic ideas, and it becomes hard to break.

You're right tho, it's a good way to understand the nature of the technical aspects such as exposure, light balance, focusing, what limitations the gear has and so forth.
This can be important in becoming proficient in using the gear you have at hand. That is, how the camera handles and works and using some or all of the features it has. Understanding lens limitations such as flare, the use of filters or software to overcome dynamic range issues .. and so on and so forth.

But this would be best done in a coaching environment, where the learning can be structured, even if it's minimal. This coaching can be either on a person to person level, or via the use of forums.

But to just say that it's a good way to learn, can be a bit misleading, although my reasons are a bit abstract as to why.
I think that if you simply learn by copying, you do yourself no favour in developing your own eye.. that is your own way of seeing things.

I think this is why we get this cliché debacle pop up every now and then.
It could be due to the way we learn. Rather than simply learning the tech aspects alone, that is removed from the actual process of taking images, we teach ourselves or get taught via examples, these examples become etched in our minds and we use them as the basis for out future endeavours.

I'd be curious to see if it's possible to give someone that has never seen a photo of any kind and get them to take photos .. just to see what they see.

it was interesting to see how my son played with his first ever camera and the resulting images he shot with it. I wouldn't exactly call it cliché(but then again he can be a bit weird).
Now my daughter!! Well!.. there's a completely different outlook to life. In some ways her initial images were a bit 'cliché' to a degree, but they were of bits that would be categorised as unpostable, and even if I could I wouldn't! Needless to say her first images had to be DELETED with extreme prejudice!

ApolloLXII

16-01-2012, 1:12am

When you think about it, there are very few photographers who are doing something truly unique.

I knew that, eventually, this would get mentioned and it is so very true. There are very few photographers whose work stands out because of it's fresh perspective and/or style.

Now, seeing how some of us would like to sell our photos and be recognised for our efforts on some sort of regular basis, which type is going to sell more or garner the most attention? A cliché type of photo that proliferates practically everywhere because it's been done to to death or a photo that stands apart from the rest because of some aspect related to it's content, subject matter or level of skill? It's a no brainer.

The one thing that ALL photographers should do from time to time is to stop taking the same type or genre of picture and try something else entirely different. Experiment, push the boundaries rather than just going over the same old ground. If you are happy shooting landscapes (or whatever takes your fancy), try a different approach such as leaving the disc of the sun out of the shot and try and capture the colours being reflected off the landscape. Perhaps a new shooting angle, it's entirely up to the individual. This applies to any other "genre" as well. The bottom line is that the real innovators and experimenters will be the ones that get the work and the recognition while the rest will wonder where the market has gone or why people are asking to use their pics without paying. Taking the same sort of pic over and over again is ok but I'm sure you will find that, if you experiment and explore with your photography, you will learn something that you may not have known of before as well as adding to your skills. The more you extend yourself, the better your photos and camera skills will become.

Xenedis

16-01-2012, 1:43am

remin

16-01-2012, 2:48am

I think at some point, people need to move away from the regular cliched photos we see everywhere, surely everyone gets bored of shooting the same thing, I know I do (but then again, my attention span if I'm not really concentrating on something, goes straight out the window).
I've tried shooting things differently, even if its only slight. Too bad they haven't turned out all that great :p, but getting slowly getting there.

That said, the whole idea of photography is to convey your own emotions, ideals, thoughts and/or tell a story...so each to their own.

ricktas

16-01-2012, 6:28am

Now, seeing how some of us would like to sell our photos and be recognised for our efforts on some sort of regular basis, which type is going to sell more or garner the most attention? A cliché type of photo that proliferates practically everywhere because it's been done to to death or a photo that stands apart from the rest because of some aspect related to it's content, subject matter or level of skill? It's a no brainer.

Yeah it is a no brainer. Go to any market, and look at the photos being sold there by photographers, or look at postcards etc. Product shots, glamour shots being sold to magazines.

They are more often than not, based on the clichues.

* The landscaper at the markets sells photos of smoothed water from waterfalls, or sunsets over the beach, why, cause they sell well.
* Postcards are generally land and sea scapes of iconic local areas, for the very reason these iconic places are nice to look at. You never see a postcard of the local rubbish tip.
* Product shots, done in a light tent, with a nice white background, no shadows. Again cause this presents the product in the best way to sell.
* Glamour shots, an airbrushed model in a bikini sells..simple!

Experimentation is good, but that is not going to sell your photos. Sticking to tried and true, in what the market wants, is how to sell photos. Experimenting is what most professional photographers do in their spare time, for personal satisfaction and learning. It is not what a client wants, in most cases

Clichued Rules when it comes to selling photos.

jev

18-01-2012, 1:09am

Perhaps we shouldn't look at the list for its contents, but the message it sends holds something pretty valuable. A cliché, according to wikipedia, is "an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect". It excludes a very important thing IMHO: originality. Sure, clichées are good to learn. But a child learning to walk doesn't make art, it's just learning not to fall over.

Would you like to see toddlers from around the world as they take their first steps? I wouldn't...
Would I go to the theater to see "the Nutcracker" performed by the Moscow Ballet? If that was my cup of tea, yes, I would!

The same is true for photography. Would you visit a museum when it was full with images of sunsets and dirty kids? I certainly wouldn't! But I do visit a local gallery that shows original work, that always has some thought-provoking or otherwise interesting imagery.

Does that mean I do never look at pictures that are described in that list? Yeah, I do... but not for their photographic value (which really isn't there), I look at it for sentimental reasons. And I certainly don't hang them from a (virtual) gallery wall for all to "enjoy".

Clichées may sell, that's true. Well-executed clichées sell even better. There obviously is a market for "crying gipsy girl". There also is a large market for Ikea furniture, but I wouldn't want to compare a chair named "Pello" with the original Mart Stam chair. The ikea chair though is sold many, many times. The Mart Stam chair, maybe twice.

Kym

18-01-2012, 8:49am

When in learning mode I don't see it as copying ideas.

Take the average noob who is going to take a pic of a waterfall and wants the milky water effect (never having done it before).

What will they learn?
- Use a tripod?
- Use filters?
- Use low ISO?
- Use slow shutter speed and closed aperture?
- Deal with a large tonal range, esp blown hightlights?
- Some PP skills?
and put all that together to get a good result!!

They will have to try it many times with many variations and they will learn a lot.

Next time they might try HDR (which is most likely to be overcooked :D ) to get detail in the dark areas.

And so on!

How else do you learn this art without doing?

ving

18-01-2012, 4:50pm

call me mr cliche! :p

Xenedis

18-01-2012, 5:18pm

call me mr cliche! :p

But I cannot see your arm extending towards the camera...

And there's no Sydney Harbour Bridge or sunset in the background.

geoffsta

18-01-2012, 5:28pm

call me mr cliche!

But I cannot see your arm extending towards the camera...

And there's no Sydney Harbour Bridge or sunset in the background.

Yeh. it is a cliche shot. Should go under the bird section.
I'm sure it's some kind of goose :D

Xenedis

18-01-2012, 5:29pm

Yeh. it is a cliche shot. Should go under the bird section.
I'm sure it's some kind of goose :D

Looks to be more like a galah.

mechawombat

18-01-2012, 5:32pm

Ving

Your doing it WRONG!
you need to be wearing a bikini and standing in a bathroom or bedroom.

oh and the Duck face don't forget the duck face. Playing Duck Hunt on Facebook is so easy like shooting fish in a barrel

ving

19-01-2012, 10:00am

mechawombat

19-01-2012, 11:06am

Here you go Ving

http://receptionchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/oh-god-its-duckface-42062754752_xlarge1.jpeg

arnica

19-01-2012, 11:57am

Love this thread .. I rarely see so many togs come out to defend their work/hobby.

In my opinion, it doesnt matter if the shot has been done to death, it's about your work. many have said, if you enjoy it, why should you change your approach?

ving

19-01-2012, 2:28pm

but thats not you doing it mechawombat!!!! :p

i want a pic of you doing it.

Danielle10

19-01-2012, 2:48pm

Yeah I take cliched photos, I've just done the smoke and water etc and will keep doing it as I'm learning that type of photography and want to use the equipment I have. I'm really happy with the cliched photos I've taken as I haven't taken them before. I k ow this thread isn't having a dig at someone just wanted to add my 2 cents

As for the selfies... My profile pic is a selfie :-P

ving

19-01-2012, 2:57pm

my only pet peve is kids with dirty faces... does the dirty face tell a story (eg, little miss found the birthday cake... guilty!) if not clean it. oh and i dont need to see running noses either :p

mcmahong

19-01-2012, 2:59pm

Yep, I've tried every single one of those at some point in the past (actually not the nude yet, but it's on the radar)

I'm hoping the article was really intended as a curious observation of the most commonly taken photographs, but instead it has come across as unnecessarily derogatory (a bit of food on a child's face is "replusiveness"...really?). They're not so much cliche's as just the most common types of photographs to take. Why? Sometimes because they are good starting points for creative imagery, sometimes because they connect with the photographer, sometimes because they have been done to death and therefore are easily reproducible, accompanied by a few hundred online tutorials on how to do them.

I wouldn't say they are top 8 though. Probably the only 8 that the author could think of. The list could really be extended. I want to add to the list too, but I'm not calling them cliche's. I'm just saying that these are styles of photographs that seem to occur more often than others.

1. Abandoned wooden boat / dead tree / rocky outcrop / on a waterfront in front of a heavy-handed HDR landscape
2. Macros of eyelashes (always seems to be a winner in the Canon Photo5 comp)
3. Flower close-ups (macro or not)
4. Panoramas (unfortunately often without any foreground)
5. etc etc

(I'm referring to actual attempts of creative photography here, not just normal snaps that people take).

I like Xebadir's photo above. Maybe that can be a challenge for forum members here, to take one of the cliches above and produce something truly unique?

Tommo224

19-01-2012, 5:17pm

Haha the arm out self shot I've done many times (difficult holding a DSLR and doing this, requires help or two hands lol.) =P

The milky water one I did to learn, and applied it to shooting cars :)

But I agree with Riktas's first post in this thread!

But hey, cliches can be cliches for a reason. They work in a positive way for a large majority of people! (meaning, they get enjoyment and happiness as a result)

ving

19-01-2012, 8:09pm

Sorry about the lack of appropriate setting :p

http://img.tapatalk.com/cb33678b-dd97-ebce.jpg

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk

Danielle10

19-01-2012, 11:23pm

Sorry about the lack of appropriate setting :p

http://img.tapatalk.com/cb33678b-dd97-ebce.jpg

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk

Hahahaha, ya clown!!

swifty

20-01-2012, 12:03am

Aren't they just a measure of popularity of the technique/genre/style etc.
If there was a way to 'trend' (like on twitter) new photos on some large database like Flickr, we'll know today's popular styles and tomorrow's cliches.
Timeless cliches like the golden hour shots/milky water/droplet etc. are great fun and ways of expanding your photography horizon if you've never tried it.

ricktas

20-01-2012, 6:45am

call me mr cliche! :p

what? No 'duck-face' pout. Geez, this photo would not get a look in..even on Facebook :lol: If you are going to do Cliched, do it right

EDIT: SHOULD LEARN TO READ ENTIRE THREAD, BEFORE QUOTING A POST BY SOMEONE. Looking good there vingster.

Kym

20-01-2012, 7:19am

@Ving I like the slight OOF and noisy image, really such an excellent phone cam FB image.

100 x 'Nice shot' on FB :p

mudman

20-01-2012, 8:09am

I reckon the challenge is to try and get all the Cliches into the one shot :p

i had the same thought David.
you get your chance to do just that in the next weekly comp.

ricktas

20-01-2012, 8:19am

i had the same thought David.
you get your chance to do just that in the next weekly comp.

Yep, We thought it would be interesting to see how everyone interprets these, so the POTW is about these very clichés

More info: HERE (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?98428)

Dylan & Marianne

20-01-2012, 8:50am

Coming from a landscape / seascape point of view, I think it's sad to consider only the end result of producing a cliche'd seascape photo
- what about being out there alone with nature's beauty?
- what about heading out driving on a dark highway with your favourite CD on
- what about the thrill of being among the elements nature throws at you
- what about the exhilaration of just being atop a mountain / beside a shore when that magic moment of light occurs
- what about the intellectual side of working out what filters /iso /shutter/ aperture you need for a specific given shot (ps. it is not always the same)

Coming from a wedding photography point of view I think it's sad to consider only the end result of producing a cliche'd wedding photo
- what about the joys you experience sharing the couples most intimate day
- what about all the emotion you get the witness through a long lens at proud relatives and friends
- what about the thrill you get from getting your 'the shot' for the day

Coming from a arm length portrait point of view I think it's sad to consider only the end result of producing a cliche'd arm lengthe portrait photo
- what about that silly moment you might otherwise have forgotten about years later now captured
- what about the moment of sharing with a stranger turned friend you've met on your travels you'd like a keepsake to remember by
- what about just having fun and not caring that the result has been done to death

and I could go on for all of the genres mentioned ( attacked is a little strong but it came across that way to me initially).........
If the Cliche end product is all that you end up being 'worried about' you may need to consider what drove you to take those pictures in the first place (is it really all just about the picture?), you may need to consider who you are trying to show off these images to. At every wedding, I produce a good 500 cliched images and why doesn't that stop me? Because I enjoy doing it now that much of the technical stress is gone, the clients enjoy the end product (hopefully).

Kym

20-01-2012, 8:53am

If Cliché was out, then Leonardo would not have painted the Mona Lisa because portraits had been done to death by 1500

arthurking83

20-01-2012, 9:13am

......

I wouldn't say they are top 8 though. Probably the only 8 that the author could think of. The list could really be extended. .....

There'd have to be at least a top 100,000 ... most certainly more, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Why the OP chose 8 is a bit strange .. it's usually top 100 ..... or top 10 if you can't be stuffed.
There's the distinct possibility that the cliché in having a top 100/10 is so cliché in itself, that the OP chose to use a non cliché value of something like 8, I guess so as to not appear too cliché themselves whilst on the topic of clichés. :p

I would have chosen a non integer value myself .. something like a top 12¼, or π².
I think a 'Top π²' list of clichés would have come across as being less stereotypical whilst still maintaining enough tradition.
The value of π² is relatively close to 10 and yet transcends beyond the banality of a cliché.

... well it works for me anyhow! :p

Ezookiel

20-01-2012, 10:56am

The shots might be cliched, but so are most of Ken Ducan's shots by those definitions, the difference is, that by taking those shots myself, in the hope that I might one day fluke - or even learn enough on the way to deliberately - get a half way decent one, means I can put a shot up on my wall that I took myself, rather than be yet another person - in itself cliched - to have a Ken Duncan photo on the wall.

(I actually don't have any photos on the wall at all, only some paintings my father did (one of which of could be considered cliched even as a painting, as it has the SHB in it, just from a rather different angle (pardon the crap photo, it's hard even with a CPL to get no reflections on a glass framed painting))
84409

But one day I hope to put up some superb photos on my wall - of the cliched types that people pay good money to buy from the likes of Ken Duncan - but that I can say I took myself. Until then, I'll keep taking cliched shots because in all honesty, what HASN'T already been photographed by someone else? Pretty sure there isn't much on the planet that hasn't had someone already take photos of it. (oh, and for those who can read the signature on the painting, I should point out that my Dad always signed his nice pictures "Lesley" (his wife's name). He only signed his horrible 'demon's nightmare' paintings with his real name)

Kevin M

20-01-2012, 12:40pm

I like that idea David...that would be interesting to see....ie all 8 cliches in the one photo

Kerrie

20-01-2012, 8:54pm

I live for the day I take just " a really good photo" and as a newbie who sees a lot of " excellent" photos here, I say cliche away! You have talent , use it how you see fit.

Wonder if anyone's ever taken a bw photo of themself, headless and naked, on a pony, he colour selects, on the beach at sunrise, with a messy kid in the background giving food to a homeless person, at arms length and over processed it ?

Just a thought

I @ M

20-01-2012, 9:00pm

Wonder if anyone's ever taken a bw photo of themself, headless and naked, on a pony, he colour selects, on the beach at sunrise, with a messy kid in the background giving food to a homeless person, at arms length and over processed it ?

Tried it once but the shrieks of horror from the messy kid, homeless hobo AND the pony caused me to drop my camera in the sand so I never got around to (over) processing it. :o

dbax

20-01-2012, 11:29pm

Gee I reckon I might be able to get a headless desaturated nude self portrait at arms length at dawn or sunset, with milky water and selective colour, but getting a homeless person and a grubby faced child in the same image just doesn't sound right. So i'll give up now. But I might try as many as i can :)

FallingHorse

21-01-2012, 3:03pm

No mention of cliched Monks in orange robes?

Danielle10

21-01-2012, 4:41pm

Danielle10

21-01-2012, 4:45pm

I @ M

21-01-2012, 4:54pm

Babies in some sort of vintage suitcase with a blanket or somewhere in the bush. Uugh and pregnant bellies? I have seen some ok ones but it just erks me.

Wow!!! :eek:

I bet your facebook friends list just shrank by 50% :rolleyes:

AnzacPride

21-01-2012, 10:34pm

I just found this link http://files.petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2011/10/hippocratic2_mini.jpg on photographic clichés that gave me a good chuckle
Its good to see that although the technologies changed a hell of a lot the clichés haven't really.

My fave at the moment is the jetty in various states of repair extending out onto the tranquil water of the idyllic lake/river/pond/ocean at sunrise/sunset. Which I intend to perfect because I quite like them and they seem to sell well at work.

I am with allot of you, who really cares if its cliché, if its special to you or brings with it a feeling or moment for yourself or someone else, what harm is it doing.
Now cliché mediocre music on the other hand is a different story.
At least you don't have look at a photo you don't appreciate. Its much harder to switch off your ears

Cheers Dan

ApolloLXII

22-01-2012, 6:25am

Wait!! I can add a 9th cliche'

Babies and maternity shots.
I'm sorry but I just hate them!!

Babies in some sort of vintage suitcase with a blanket or somewhere in the bush. Uugh and pregnant bellies? I have seen some ok ones but it just erks me.

Yes, I agree and I forgot all about this type of genre when I made the original list. Anne Geddes type photos were all the rage at one point in time until the novelty wore off and they really started to look VERY cliché.

I haven't had time to look at this thread for a while as I had to fly home to Tassie for my mothers funeral but I'm glad it's generated a bit of debate which was my intention all along. How people approach the taking of any kind of image and their motivation behind doing so is a matter of personal preference but it never hurts to think outside the box every once in a while.

ApolloLXII

22-01-2012, 6:35am

Sorry about the lack of appropriate setting :p

http://img.tapatalk.com/cb33678b-dd97-ebce.jpg

Nope, you're still doing it wrong Ving. You have to have somebody else in the shot with you (preferably sticking their tongue out) otherwise, if you were to post this on Facebook, everybody would think you were pretty sad because it looks like you have no friends. :lol:

malcolm

22-01-2012, 9:36am

I have a good picture of a rubbish tip - from Botswana, not local - because it was covered in vultures!
malcolm

Jimmisnaps

22-01-2012, 10:44pm

Can't all photos be described as cliche to a certain extent? Most scenes / occurrences have been seen or done before at some point. There is nothing wrong with getting creative and doing something truly out there but it's what an image evokes in you hats important. Seems like saying rock and roll is cliche so find something else.

Jb

Longshots

23-01-2012, 7:20am

the biggest cliche here is the fact that this appears to be the similar/same topic to one I'd read a month earlier, on a different website. Clearly very roughly rewritten, with two exclusions from the original 10 biggest photographic cliches.

http://www.australianphotography.com/news/top-10-biggest-cliches-in-photography

Perhaps its ironic that even this isnt original

ricktas

23-01-2012, 7:55am

I actually collected these from various sources on the web and rewrote them because some of them were rather inflammatory but my aim was to generate discussion about percepted "cliché" type photos and garner the opinions of people who are actually into photography to see what they thought.

So based on Longshots' post above, seems the various sources, were just one source, albeit re-worded, and dropped a couple off the list.

ApolloLXII

23-01-2012, 3:35pm

So based on Longshots' post above, seems the various sources, were just one source, albeit re-worded, and dropped a couple off the list.

Nope, because I left out maternity shots, Dragan effect (a technique used by Andrzej Dragan) and tilt shift where the resultant photo makes it appear that the subjects look like they are miniature. Anybody else feel like sticking the boots into me?

ving

23-01-2012, 3:42pm

Nope, you're still doing it wrong Ving. You have to have somebody else in the shot with you (preferably sticking their tongue out) otherwise, if you were to post this on Facebook, everybody would think you were pretty sad because it looks like you have no friends. :lol:

I am trying damn it! i am trying!!!!!!:(

ApolloLXII

23-01-2012, 4:21pm

Photographic Clichés | Martin Parr (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CFoQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.martinparr.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D282&ei=yOgcT8zxJuyeiAeUxa3hCw&usg=AFQjCNEiN_LOGXSAlg9HySASQvnnRRwsIg&sig2=G1cxdRUn0J5byvgZDFjXwA) www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282

Flickr: Discussing Photography Cliches in I Shoot Film (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CIcBEBYwCQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fgroups%2Fishootfilm%2Fdiscuss%2F72157622958578714%2F&ei=yOgcT8zxJuyeiAeUxa3hCw&usg=AFQjCNHad1tRl7ZjnU2bEiGDlECo07GjBQ&sig2=I6mc3MHmgRdzigeRM5bCgg) www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157622958578714/

www.cliche-photography.com

Photo Clichés (http://www.photocliches.com/) www.photocliches.com/

Top 10 Photography Clichés | Casey Mac Photo (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CF4QFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caseymacphoto.com%2Ftop-ten-photography-cliches&ei=pOkcT4_1FcaaiAf306DyCw&usg=AFQjCNGO2SNdG9IrJ1tYTA7QqP-7AIylVQ&sig2=a9QMB-vLrQq-NUTynZckZA) www.caseymacphoto.com/top-ten-photography-cliches

Photography Clichés » Expert Photography (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&ved=0CHAQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.expertphotography.com%2Ftag%2Fphotography-cliches&ei=pOkcT4_1FcaaiAf306DyCw&usg=AFQjCNHkVobPPVsCRrslbCPjgwrlnQ4jDw&sig2=HpZrhFOzam9U0mUIFoTjKA) www.expertphotography.com/tag/photography-cliches

The 101 Cliches of Photography (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=28&ved=0CHwQFjAHOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luminous-landscape.com%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Ftopic%3D12710&ei=8ekcT6-DGMmtiQfq_un8Cw&usg=AFQjCNF8UGMc2krD6a5gACujn2q3nP2GrQ&sig2=8HBBZ_JbQ-3Bl42G5-tg7g) www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=12710

Travel Photography Cliches - Photo Essay - JPG (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=50&ved=0CH8QFjAJOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjpgmag.com%2Fstories%2F16088&ei=KOocT8nrJuKViAfUsPH6Cw&usg=AFQjCNGp4FHGt4WHPyz9huW0QCyHJccwLw&sig2=F8SYH-TR9EPiohBrbx16xA) jpgmag.com/stories/16088

Some other opinions on what is cliché in photography.

Longshots

23-01-2012, 9:20pm

Nope, because I left out maternity shots, Dragan effect (a technique used by Andrzej Dragan) and tilt shift where the resultant photo makes it appear that the subjects look like they are miniature. Anybody else feel like sticking the boots into me?

OK I'll take up the challenge.
Why not move on and give photography a miss if you think that every aspect of photography is a cliche? For goodness sake, do something productive instead of knocking everything in photography. All I read here is a host of resentment.

ApolloLXII

25-01-2012, 8:45am

OK I'll take up the challenge.
Why not move on and give photography a miss if you think that every aspect of photography is a cliche? For goodness sake, do something productive instead of knocking everything in photography. All I read here is a host of resentment.

Show me exactly where I said or even implied that I think EVERY aspect of photography is a cliché? For the record, if you look at my original post, I never said ANYTHING or gave my opinion about what I thought about photographic clichés. Just because I made the original post does not mean that I agree with what was written. The purpose was to generate discussion which, I admit, was done in an emotive way but it had the desired effect. The original post was a collection of rewritten quotes from OTHER PEOPLE, not me.
From a lot of the posts, I get the impression that a lot of people have a very weird interpretation of the word cliché ( A trite or overused expression or idea ) which somehow got interpreted to mean that EVERYTHING in photography is cliché which, of course, it is not. For the record, these are my opinions about the 8 biggest photographic clichés:

1: THE ARMS LENGTH SELF PORTRAIT (SELFIES) - Fine if you are young and want to have a record of a good night out or whatever but not something that I think any serious photographer would intentionally execute with anything other than a mobile phone camera. Facebook is filled with shots like these.

2: THE HEADLESS NUDE - Not being an afficianado of nude photography myself, headless shots of nudes hold no interest for me but if I were to attempt one, I would most probably use a professional model.

3: A CHILD'S FACE SMEARED WITH FOOD OR DIRT - This kind of thing tends to appeal to those to whom the subject is related but I think having a face smeared with food has been overdone and there are so many more different approaches to child photography that really do make the subject look cute.

4: SUNSET/SUNRISE - I don't agree with this because no two sunsets/sunrises are the same due to the variables associated with prevailing weather conditions at the time the image is shot. There may be a lot of sunrise/sunset shots out there but I challenge anybody to show me two that are exactly the same.

5: COLOUR POPPING - This is one of those subjective kinds of techniques because some images work really well and some don't. An excellent technique to use to draw the viewers attention to an element within the image. You used to see a lot of this when it first came into fashion but not so much now so I would hardly call this cliché.

6: SHOTS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE - I can't really see how this could be seen as being exploitative when you consider that such images are useful in highlighting the plight of the homeless. As a big fan of street photography, taking pictures of somebody who is homeless is not something that I've done but if I were to take such an image, I'd at least give whoever the subject was some money and ask if I could take their photo.

7: SOFT or MILKY WATER - To a certain degree, I have to agree with this but only on the grounds that the resulting picture looks unnatural when the water resembles mist and there are lots of examples of this type around. Using a slow shutter speed to show that the water is moving is fine and, in my opinion, looks far better.

8: OVERLY MANIPULATED PHOTOS - This is another subjective category because it often depends upon what kind of result is being aimed for. Photos can look better than the original image if they have effects applied that make them look graphical or look like a watercolour painting however, there may be a case against images that are overly saturated to the point where the colours don't look natural. HDR is another technique that can look fine in some examples and not in others. Some people like them and others don't so it's a matter of personal preference but you do see a lot of examples.

*removed- personal attack. do it again and I will ban you* : Admin

Xenedis

25-01-2012, 1:48pm

No mention of cliched Monks in orange robes?

If you've seen one orange-robed monk, you've seen them all...

Xenedis

25-01-2012, 1:56pm

Anybody else feel like sticking the boots into me?

You could ditch the large Times New Roman in your posts...

Xenedis

25-01-2012, 2:06pm

THE ARMS LENGTH SELF PORTRAIT (SELFIES)Fine if you are young and want to have a record of a good night out or whatever but not something that I think any serious photographer would intentionally execute with anything other than a mobile phone camera. Facebook is filled with shots like these.

It should be remembered that for many people, photography is not a a method of producing fine art; it's simply a way of capturing their lives and sharing it with their families and friends via social media.

Of course a serious photographer won't usually take such a shot; but those people who do take those shots are aren't thinking "gee, this is going to be grainy, and the light source is harsh; I should have bought a soft box attachment for my iPhone".

SOFT or MILKY WATER - To a certain degree, I have to agree with this but only on the grounds that the resulting picture looks unnatural when the water resembles mist

If the water is blurred at all, it doesn't look 'natural', because that's not what our eyes see. We see movement; it's constant. A stills camera can either freeze motion, or create a sense of motion in a stills image, by blurring or abstraction of details.

Using a slow shutter speed to show that the water is moving is fine and, in my opinion, looks far better.

As a seascape photographer, I use both techniques. I like to introduce motion blur into the water, but preserve the details as well. That requires a certain amount of light and a fairly confined range of shutter speeds.

This is the result:

http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7023/6733170445_996da6bef6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/6733170445/)

If you're shooting water in the pre-dawn light, it won't be possible to do this, as there simply isn't enough light; you'll be using long shutter speeds which will 'milkify' the image. This is the result:

http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7153/6692439403_6155540bb6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/6692439403/)

There's no getting around that in such (low) light.

If some consider milky water a photographic cliché, then I cannot say I'm the slightest bit concerned.

Kym

25-01-2012, 2:25pm

This is one of my personal favs... Slow enough to get a bit milky but fast enough to keep the wave form.
Click the thumb for full image

V131_0019

arthurking83

25-01-2012, 10:03pm

...... Show me exactly where I said or even implied that I think EVERY aspect of photography is a cliché? For the record, if you look at my original post, I never said ANYTHING or gave my opinion about what I thought about photographic clichés. Just because I made the original post does not mean that I agree with what was written. The purpose was to generate discussion which, I admit, was done in an emotive way but it had the desired effect. The original post was a collection of rewritten quotes from OTHER PEOPLE, not me.
.......

That's got to be one of the most extreme back flips I've ever read on AP .. ever!

Firstly, you posted the 8 cliché topics as direct text, not linked to the any of original author's of those 8 topics.

You hadn't had the foresight to add an addendum anywhere in the original post to alert anyone to the fact that these topics were other than your own thoughts in any way.

Read that OP a zillion times over and any sensible AP member would simply assume that ideas and topics in that body of text were the author's own!

Read the original post and you will see where YOU said and implied, in a strangely formatted type, all of those topics were cliché.
Without referring material and sources we can only assume that the person posting the text in their own posts is the originator of those ideas.
There is simply no other way to read the posts.
That is, I'm not posting these words on behalf of my son, or my daughter, who have a pretty limited grasp of the English language. It's pretty good considering their age, but they'd have no idea what this thread is about!

But, now you've opened up the opportunity for me to cop out or wriggle my way out of any situation, and I can declare that the thoughts and ideas in my post here are not my own, but my parent's .. or my children's .. or even my (as yet to be born) grandchildren!! :rolleyes:

If you are going to post in this manner, then you need to provide reference material, and if you don't agree with the sentiments of the text you write in your posts.. make it clear with some additional comments.

As it stands, the text in the OP seems to reflect your point of view on the subject, there's simply no other way to read the post.

Danielle10

25-01-2012, 10:36pm

Wow!!! :eek:

I bet your facebook friends list just shrank by 50% :rolleyes:

Why? I already deleted them age ago- sick of seeing their ugly babies in boxes in the middle of no where lol

Longshots

26-01-2012, 9:18am

ApolloLXII

26-01-2012, 2:39pm

My apologies to everybody and I'm sorry that I raised this topic in the first place.

ricktas

26-01-2012, 4:26pm

My apologies to everybody and I'm sorry that I raised this topic in the first place.

Don't be sorry you raised it. you created a thread that had lots of views, opinions, ideas and motivation in it, and THAT is a positive thing

ApolloLXII

27-01-2012, 4:58pm

That's got to be one of the most extreme back flips I've ever read on AP .. ever!

Firstly, you posted the 8 cliché topics as direct text, not linked to the any of original author's of those 8 topics.

You hadn't had the foresight to add an addendum anywhere in the original post to alert anyone to the fact that these topics were other than your own thoughts in any way.

Read that OP a zillion times over and any sensible AP member would simply assume that ideas and topics in that body of text were the author's own!

Read the original post and you will see where YOU said and implied, in a strangely formatted type, all of those topics were cliché.
Without referring material and sources we can only assume that the person posting the text in their own posts is the originator of those ideas.
There is simply no other way to read the posts.
That is, I'm not posting these words on behalf of my son, or my daughter, who have a pretty limited grasp of the English language. It's pretty good considering their age, but they'd have no idea what this thread is about!

But, now you've opened up the opportunity for me to cop out or wriggle my way out of any situation, and I can declare that the thoughts and ideas in my post here are not my own, but my parent's .. or my children's .. or even my (as yet to be born) grandchildren!! :rolleyes:

If you are going to post in this manner, then you need to provide reference material, and if you don't agree with the sentiments of the text you write in your posts.. make it clear with some additional comments.

As it stands, the text in the OP seems to reflect your point of view on the subject, there's simply no other way to read the post.

For it to be a backflip would imply that I had a position to backflip from. I refrained from expressing any opinion of agreement or otherwise about the original post. My opinon came later on after other people had commented because I was attempting to prevent being labelled as having a 100% agreement with what was contained in the original post and be thus exposed to attack from those who would much prefer to indulge in a witch hunt in preference to engaging in meaningful debate (and that, quite obviously, was a dismal failure). There was nothing stopping you or anybody else from asking if I was in agreeance about the original post but neither yourself or anybody did. You never should assume anything or go off half cocked until you have ALL the facts. While I agree that reference material should always be supplied, I didn't think it was necessary as the intention was to generate new debate about the topic rather than going over ground already covered by other people.
( I refer you to the list of references -:Photographic Clichés | Martin Parr (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CFoQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.martinparr.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D282&ei=yOgcT8zxJuyeiAeUxa3hCw&usg=AFQjCNEiN_LOGXSAlg9HySASQvnnRRwsIg&sig2=G1cxdRUn0J5byvgZDFjXwA) www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282 (http://www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282)

Flickr: Discussing Photography Cliches in I Shoot Film (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CIcBEBYwCQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fgroups%2Fishootfilm%2Fdiscuss%2F72157622958578714%2F&ei=yOgcT8zxJuyeiAeUxa3hCw&usg=AFQjCNHad1tRl7ZjnU2bEiGDlECo07GjBQ&sig2=I6mc3MHmgRdzigeRM5bCgg) http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootf...7622958578714/ (http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157622958578714/)

www.cliche-photography.com (http://www.cliche-photography.com/)

Photo Clichés (http://www.photocliches.com/) www.photocliches (http://www.%3cb%3ephotocliches%3c/b%3E).com/

Top 10 Photography Clichés | Casey Mac Photo (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CF4QFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caseymacphoto.com%2Ftop-ten-photography-cliches&ei=pOkcT4_1FcaaiAf306DyCw&usg=AFQjCNGO2SNdG9IrJ1tYTA7QqP-7AIylVQ&sig2=a9QMB-vLrQq-NUTynZckZA) www.caseymac (http://www.caseymac/)photo.com/top-ten-photography-cliches

Photography Clichés » Expert Photography (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&ved=0CHAQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.expertphotography.com%2Ftag%2Fphotography-cliches&ei=pOkcT4_1FcaaiAf306DyCw&usg=AFQjCNHkVobPPVsCRrslbCPjgwrlnQ4jDw&sig2=HpZrhFOzam9U0mUIFoTjKA) www.expert (http://www.expert/)photography.com/tag/photography-cliches

The 101 Cliches of Photography (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=28&ved=0CHwQFjAHOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luminous-landscape.com%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Ftopic%3D12710&ei=8ekcT6-DGMmtiQfq_un8Cw&usg=AFQjCNF8UGMc2krD6a5gACujn2q3nP2GrQ&sig2=8HBBZ_JbQ-3Bl42G5-tg7g) http://www.luminous-landscape.com/fo...hp?topic=12710 (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=12710)

Travel Photography Cliches - Photo Essay - JPG (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=50&ved=0CH8QFjAJOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjpgmag.com%2Fstories%2F16088&ei=KOocT8nrJuKViAfUsPH6Cw&usg=AFQjCNGp4FHGt4WHPyz9huW0QCyHJccwLw&sig2=F8SYH-TR9EPiohBrbx16xA) jpgmag.com/stories/16088 that were given earlier that illustrate that the topic has been widely discussed by others.) however, in future, I will make sure that I include every scrap of reference relevant to any other subject or topic that I raise in the future so you may pore over it in minute detail at your leisure.

Kym

27-01-2012, 5:11pm

For it to be a backflip would imply that I had a position to backflip from.

The OP stands as is. When first posted it is seen as your opinion (later found to be a cut/paste). I.e. you said these 8 things are cliched.

Xenedis

27-01-2012, 5:34pm

You never should assume anything or go off half cocked until you have ALL the facts.

Conversely, you should not assume that what you post will be interpreted by others as you intended it to be interpreted.

Chris C

10-04-2012, 10:23am

Cliches are great - almost by definition. :)

A cliche is just something that's been 'over-used' (in somebody's opinion) and the reason anything gets used a lot is because it was liked by enough people to become popular in the first place.

My other hobby is music, and that has its 'cliches' too. Anyone for another three chord love song? Well, just about everyone it seems. They'll never ever go out of fashion because they work and audiences can easily relate to them. Same with popular phrases, they may be described as cliches but when you use one then the widest possible number of people know exactly what you mean. A better trick though is to take a cliche and twist it a little by coming at it from a slightly unusual angle (or to use a cliche appropriate to photography: "throw a different light on it"). People know just what you're getting at, but still think you're 'creative' if you bend it a bit - win, win.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using so-called cliches in any medium, but it's certainly good to try and use them well. Some shots are bad, not because they're cliches but because they're just bad shots by any criteria. And what's worse - doing your own version of something that's been done many times before or being deliberately different just for the sake of it? Sometimes 'pushing the boundaries' is worthwhile, and sometimes it results in the most pretentious rubbish imaginable.

I say, it's all good, Give everything a go without fear or shame.

I'l get off my soap-box now. :rolleyes:

(If anyone is confused, I wasn't really standing on a box of soap. It's a cliche. One that's lasted for well over a hundred years and has comfortably outlasted the time when soap actually was packed in a wooden box that was strong enough to stand on when empty. They could be used to improvise a platform for your oratory. Standing on plastic shrink wrap doesn't cut it, so the cliche survives long after any of us ever saw anybody standing on an original wooden soap box.)

Cheers,

Chris

Here's my most recent cliche. It really should be on the list. There are a million moon shots just like it, most of them better. I was still pleased to get it. AND I've added another cliche to make it a Double Cliche. I even went for Triple Cliche by telling a friend who is a professional photographer that I'd missed a great shot (ten seconds after I put the camera down a plane flew slap bang across the middle of the moon..aaaarghh....true...) but that I did get one of "My Neighbour Going Off to Work". She laughed, and said she had a very similar neighbour. So it did the job.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~ccaud/General/moonwitch02.jpg