Overdone and Cliche Shots

[fotomumma09]

Every mother's pictures of their children.

Ouch

 

[Rick58]

Every mother's pictures of their children.

Ouch

That response actually took longer then I thought

 

[MLeeK]

Clearly someone needs to take a shot of a model hunched over, bare titties with a big flower bow in antelope canyon at sunset while a little train circles her legs. I'm a photographic genius!

Ansel and Annie will be long forgotten after you!

 

[PixelRabbit]

Wow, I shouldn't make threads like this shortly before bedtime!
There are lots of great responses that I didn't see coming like the boobs lol
On the other hand I'm pleasantly surprised that a lot of the shots I had in mind haven't been mentioned, perhaps it is a case of me over thinking trying to be anything but cliche.
I quoted a couple but I'm on the iPod and can't get you all.

Cliches exist for a reason!

People LIKE them!

What's the difference between 'people like it' and 'it's good'? I have some ideas on this point, but they're mine and you probably have different ones. That's ok. I think most of us agree that 'people like it' isn't the same thing as 'good'. Still, it's worth thinking about. These two do overlap a lot -- there aren't very many "good" photographs that nobody likes, right?

What I really enjoy seeing is when someone makes a cliched image, and does it well enough and in an interesting enough way to make it not matter that it's cliche. Shooting a cliche puts you one step forward (cliches are likable, popular, and there was probably a "good" photograph that looked like that one, once) and one step back (arrrg, we've all seen that one so many times, not another one!!). If you can take advantage of the one step forward and minimize the step back, you might have something.

Basically ALL professional photographs are pretty much cliches. That's what people buy. The difference between a high end pro and a down market pro is usually that the former is much more likely to make you not care or notice that it's a cliche.

To me any shot which has only one thing to offer, and that one thing is the placement of two objects together or a person standing in a particular place, i.e., something we've all (even non-photographers) seen many many times, is a cliche and not interesting. It's fine as a personal snapshot or a memory of an event for the people involved, but not as a photograph of interest to others.

There are other types of shots that some consider cliches, like some mentioned here - sunsets, bugs, flowers, etc. - but in these the lighting, composition, etc. can make these shots interesting anyway. I'm really burned out (pun intended) on sunsets, but sometimes I see one that has more to it than usual and which I would consider a good image. I'm not sure that's possible with some of the cliches, or at least it's much more unusual.

You both expressed my thoughts well. Judging by the specific things that seem to raise peoples ire I was a bit off the mark and that is cool
Amolitor, you mentioned in the hydro line thread that it was a good technical exercise and that really made it click for me, one step forward one step back, it's the one step back that was making me question why I want to do the shots (water on cd, water drops, smoke come quickly to mind).
First I'm still so "new" that they don't drive me nuts yet, I like the concepts and the challenge of great execution on them.
I suppose I need to get over myself and my desire not to be average or cliche, accept the value (step forward) and do it

Oh and...

Clearly someone needs to take a shot of a model hunched over, bare titties with a big flower bow in antelope canyon at sunset while a little train circles her legs. I'm a photographic genius!

Lol! PURE genius!

 

[molested_cow]

Half dome. Not all half dome images, but that half dome.

Antelope Canyon: the only place on earth which ALWAYS works in "P for Professional" mode. If you want to see cliche:

antelope canyon

I guess mine isn't cliche enough to be up there.
But damn, for a moment I thought I was looking at my own photo gallery!

 

[The_Traveler]

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a nude female shot when it is classically composed and lit, and artfully presented - but more times than not its just some guy who thinks tits outside of a bra are 'artful'.

I have nothing new to add but I really needed to repeat this line.
This goes for most 'glamour' shots too.

 

[jhodges10]

Ansel and Annie will be long forgotten after you!

Ansel and Annie who?

 

[MLeeK]

I love this image and I can see SOOOO much in it. As it is and altered!

 

[pgriz]

Man, I'm missing the photographic cliché train. THAT'S why my skills have been progressing slowly. But you guys have conveniently put together a partial list for me... General Gallery, get ready!!

 

[Hikaribushi]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

While a professional photographer may also be an artist, an artist is not always a professional photographer. Photos/poses considered "overdone" or "cliché" may sell very well to a specific audience while never approaching serious consideration as art, while some highly regarded art/photography may not appeal to a large audience. One who considers themselves to be an artist may turn their nose up at a specific type of photo/pose, while another perfects it so they can continue to earn an income.

Peace. :heart:

 

[unpopular]

lol cow - you know that image isn't what I meant

 

[unpopular]

Ansel and Annie will be long forgotten after you!

Ansel and Annie who?

The remarkable, tasteful and never cliche Anne Geddes, duh.

 

[Tuffythepug]

I've developed an aversion to sunrises, sunsets, clouds, and babies. Even though I've shot plenty of these myself. When you're a grandpa with 2.99 grankids (third is due tomorrow !) you take lots of baby and toddler pictures. But clouds, sunrises and sunsets just seem boring after you've seen thousands of photos of them. At this point it'd better be one hell of a sunrise or sunset for me to aim a camera at it.

But I will shoot tits anytime they are available for posing.

 

[Railphotog]

Duckface!

 

[Derrel]

Half dome. Not all half dome images, but that half dome.

Antelope Canyon: the only place on earth which ALWAYS works in "P for Professional" mode. If you want to see cliche:

antelope canyon

Dude--two of the most-cliche landscape areas in the US....but you forgot another one where the cliche rings out just as true and on-key....Horseshoe Bend! Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear, there are only THREE sets of tripod leg footprints in that whole damned area...and everybody's tripod MUST, by law, have its feet placed into one of the three sets of pod-prints!!!