I entered the Feature-4-feb challenge to keep myself focused (you can still join if you like :-). On feb. 1st I made this photo for the word 'heart'. I like the composition with the Repin looking at you but I thought it was a bit obvious. So I did not post the image until the next day for the word 'shadow'.
So far so good. But than my loyal follower Emily @houdiniem said it was a nice cliche and she suggested I start a series. I had a good night sleep and reminded myself that my entire project is one huge cliche because I only use hipstamatic with automated post processing making my shots look unnecessary retro. That said, I decided it was actually a nice idea to combine the theme with a cliche series and looking at the 'Latest' page I can already see a dozen cliches for inspiration (I'll post my list after the discussion if you like)... Looking at the 'PP' there are even more, so I don't think it will be any problem to finalize the idea.
Still, I was wondering what you think are the cliches in photography. Or, in other words, give me an objective list of stereotypes in photography to work with. Thanks in advance.
Btw, I placed the discussion in 'themes' because the list could be of some help to others looking for a handheld in their project.
yeaaaaaaaaa cliche, had considered it myself, so here are a few:
selective colouring
hands making heart shape
small/lego people
person positioned to hold or do something to the moon or sun
shoe laces to make up words
bokeh coming out of anything!
scrabble board
OK. I need some clarity. I am a writer and the word "cliche" is a definite "Don't do it" in writing. It is something that is grossly over-used and must be avoided at all costs. It does not go along with mandatory, unless not in a good way.
With that said, I am curious what cliche means in photography ... or at least in this thread. It seems more to mean those shots that a photographer goes through as s/he progresses up the ladder of becoming better. Or at least becoming more diverse.
I think @dlaxton and @dmortega have the right idea... "cliché" does indeed have negative connotations—it means "trite", or "overused". A true linguistic cliché is a finite set of words... but there are actually contexts where a cliché can be used in an original manner, and so lose its cliché-ness.
Expression through visual art is inherently varied and mutable. So there are ways to do everything on this list in a "cliché" (trite, overused) manner, but there are infinite ways of taking an overused idea and making it your own.
With so many bazillions of cameras out there now and people snapping shots of virtually everything from every angle every second of the day, a list of shots NOT "cliche" would be more manageable. Almost ALL of it's been seen and done before.
@dlaxton yep. That's what cliche mean ;-) As a writer you know everything has been written already. It's your challenge to write what has already been written in an interesting and intriguing way. So I think it's like Dorrena said @dmortega, making the cliche shot stand out so that it's not a cliche anymore. Perhaps that's pretty hard a challenge by itself. @johnnyfrs did you not forget the selective colouring? I believe it's on top of the list. Fortunately I've already checked the heart and shadow :-) @cromwell Beware, I will certainly wander through your albums ;-) @manek43509 now that's an interesting thought!
@mastermek - ok, I'll roll with those thoughts. I definitely agree that most everything has been written. That is one reason Sci-Fi/Vampires stuff is hot now ... you can create new things in those genres since they don't have to be real.
Although it strikes me that in the photography world (as in the pottery world, where I spend some time) that attempting to replicate someone else's work is praise of their work and acceptable. Due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to recreate many things others do in these areas. In writing, replicating someone else's work is plagiarism and punishable by losing at least one digit of your writing hand.
@grizzlysghost True... But still there must be some difference between 'a random shot of just about anything', like a cloud for example, and a true cliche, like a 'sunset, on the beach, with a silhoute in front', I think...
@dlaxton Dave, nice thought but I think that's only partially true. Taking someone's photo (or just a part of it) and present it as yours is not accepted either. Copy and pasting text without a footnote is the same thing.
@mastermek - OH NO - I didn't mean using any part of someone else's photo ... I meant trying to do the same photo yourself - totally on your own. Sorry, didn't mean to indicate the wrong thing!!!!
I'd say anything that ends up in one of those forwarded emails of cute dogs and kittens doing cute things, but on the other hand if that were your dog doing a cute thing and you took the picture then it wouldn't necessarily be cliche.
Maybe I'm just not stuck up enough to really get what you're after here.
@aponi haha, thanks! But even if it's your dog or cat... the photo will be cuter but a cliche nonetheless. What I'm after was just a list with cliches. Checked :-) but also your opinion about the subject...
Selective coloring.
Water crowns.
HDR (and specifically, wildly overdone HDR).
Hyper-macro shots of insects.
Birds, birds, birds.
The full moon in close-up.
Sunrises/sunsets, especially over water.
As a newbie and learner I hope to collect many cliches in my project (indeed I already have) and get better at them. Actually quite happy Ive managed to "collect" so many of these cliches in the short time here. Have I got the wrong end of the stick? ;-)
@boomersworld I tend to agree. Now I kind of feel like I shouldn't take a photo of anything because it has "all been done before, sigh".
I definitely have had my fair share of attempts at several of these subjects. I use them as motivation and inspiration to learn more about taking pictures, rather than to be cliche. I'd be happy taking a picture of my dog every day for a year, but where is the challenge in that ? ;) (Did I just make a challenge for myself ? ;))
@mastermek Though I think I understand your reason for starting this conversation, after reading some of the comments I kind of feel like @jojos2 and wonder if there's really anything to take a photo of that hasn't been done before and therefor a cliché. On the other hand it is MY project and I don't think I am going to let photo snobs determine what I put or don't put in my project. @cromwell Really?! Oh, look, dogs... baby's 1st birthday with cake on the face... insect macros... pregnant mom holding her belly... never saw that before! zzzzzzzzzz :)
I don't mind a bit of cliche. Especially during dark nights. We've all done it :P but I try to use it as a learning curve, like "that looks good, I wonder how they did it" but then I try and put my own spin on.
Love the idea of you cliche month! I think cliches are ok as long as you give a personal touch to it. And they are great for practicing of course. Even on sites like 500px you will find loads of cliches, and the experience level there is higher than on 365. So there's a bit of cliche in everyone of us :-p
yup - what @marilyn said !! When you're just starting out, nothing is cliche. When you get more experienced and have taken all those shots labeled as cliche, and have learned what you needed from them, then you might do other things. But - once summer comes around, no matter how experienced I get taking photos, I will be taking constant macro shots of flower petals, insects, pollen, water, etc.... Why? because I like them !!! woo-hoo !!! here's to honey bee portraits !! :-)
@houdiniem Thanks for this reddish submission! The thing that is most striking is the fact that you actually use the grey as a selective color. It must be the art-master within you that can manage such an exceptional expression. It certainly doesn't look out of place in your selfies-collection.
In case your interested, this was my final list:
1. Use of unnecessary post processing by photo-app like Hipstamatic. Or just a heart shape if you like.
2. Framing and heart shadow.
3. Selective colouring.
4. Pets/cats in any situation.
5. Food porn.
6. Dutch tilt or "Deutsche" angle.
7. Fake sunflare
8. Text overlay with random quote using cliche font type.
9. Feet (on the beach).
10. Lego theme.
11. Over saturated HDR.
12. National or international observance.
13. Dull image without any subject, not worth saving.
14. Coffee art.
15. Selfie in mirror.
16. Graveyard.
17. Screenshot of text message.
18. Game letters (boggle/scrabble) telling the obvious.
19. Stretched arm selfie.
20. Showing off your finger nails.
21. Excessive vignette.
22. Analog frame in digital image.
23. Writing in the sand
24. Loosing subject by shallow DOF.
25. Reproduction of an iconic image.
26. Flower (close up).
27. Bare baby.
28. Light painting. http://365project.org/mastermek/re-do/2013-02
Looking at the retrospective of your month, I'm really impressed with how you de-clichéd the cliché—in a Pop Arty kind of way. Truly well done. Can you post a screenshot of the month pic to this thread?
@aponi Ha! Yes they were on the list too. But for me it was a combination of the February word challenge with a cliche. The feb2013 challenge only lasted a month. Only 28 photo's :-) Perhaps I will finish the other cliches another time. Or maybe you will do it for me!
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selective colouring
hands making heart shape
small/lego people
person positioned to hold or do something to the moon or sun
shoe laces to make up words
bokeh coming out of anything!
scrabble board
that's a good start :)
bees doing anything
birds on the wing
road shots from overpasses
cats being cats
dogs running
@mastermek @houdiniem @swilde
water crowns
lips covered in cake sprinkles/hundreds and thousands
railroad tracks
Spider web with water drops
Star trails
Light painting
Coloured crayons arranged any how.
With that said, I am curious what cliche means in photography ... or at least in this thread. It seems more to mean those shots that a photographer goes through as s/he progresses up the ladder of becoming better. Or at least becoming more diverse.
Expression through visual art is inherently varied and mutable. So there are ways to do everything on this list in a "cliché" (trite, overused) manner, but there are infinite ways of taking an overused idea and making it your own.
Probably not true of most people, but those are probably my "go to" cliché photographs...
@johnnyfrs did you not forget the selective colouring? I believe it's on top of the list. Fortunately I've already checked the heart and shadow :-)
@cromwell Beware, I will certainly wander through your albums ;-)
@manek43509 now that's an interesting thought!
Although it strikes me that in the photography world (as in the pottery world, where I spend some time) that attempting to replicate someone else's work is praise of their work and acceptable. Due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to recreate many things others do in these areas. In writing, replicating someone else's work is plagiarism and punishable by losing at least one digit of your writing hand.
Maybe I'm just not stuck up enough to really get what you're after here.
Water crowns.
HDR (and specifically, wildly overdone HDR).
Hyper-macro shots of insects.
Birds, birds, birds.
The full moon in close-up.
Sunrises/sunsets, especially over water.
Sigh....
I definitely have had my fair share of attempts at several of these subjects. I use them as motivation and inspiration to learn more about taking pictures, rather than to be cliche. I'd be happy taking a picture of my dog every day for a year, but where is the challenge in that ? ;) (Did I just make a challenge for myself ? ;))
@cromwell Really?! Oh, look, dogs... baby's 1st birthday with cake on the face... insect macros... pregnant mom holding her belly... never saw that before! zzzzzzzzzz :)
inspired by the original comment :)
I just wanted to thank you for your input last month!
In case your interested, this was my final list:
1. Use of unnecessary post processing by photo-app like Hipstamatic. Or just a heart shape if you like.
2. Framing and heart shadow.
3. Selective colouring.
4. Pets/cats in any situation.
5. Food porn.
6. Dutch tilt or "Deutsche" angle.
7. Fake sunflare
8. Text overlay with random quote using cliche font type.
9. Feet (on the beach).
10. Lego theme.
11. Over saturated HDR.
12. National or international observance.
13. Dull image without any subject, not worth saving.
14. Coffee art.
15. Selfie in mirror.
16. Graveyard.
17. Screenshot of text message.
18. Game letters (boggle/scrabble) telling the obvious.
19. Stretched arm selfie.
20. Showing off your finger nails.
21. Excessive vignette.
22. Analog frame in digital image.
23. Writing in the sand
24. Loosing subject by shallow DOF.
25. Reproduction of an iconic image.
26. Flower (close up).
27. Bare baby.
28. Light painting. http://365project.org/mastermek/re-do/2013-02
Or one of those shots that everyone does at Pisa where it looks like you're pushing the tower.
Succes! I am very curious about the result.