Photographic Clichés

[karenoliver]

Interesting blog entry by Martin Parr on his site where he shares his thoughts on photographic clichés.

http://www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282

I do think its easy to shoot the same things and try and emulate other successful techniques we all see but how hard it is to be original and step outside comfort zones and think outside the box.

Karen

[MattUK]

Well they say that "there are no new ideas". And in a way this is true. But it's also true that there are new interpretations on existing ideas. It's also worth considering that not everyone has experienced each type of shot Martin describes - so your shot could be the first "above ground landscape with people" that someone experiences

[GeoffWessex]

Strange Blog! Difficult to read, being in a faint and serif font (and impossible to cut and paste), with some spelling errors ("Bill Eggleston"?). And I still don't see what point he's trying to make.... he's criticising American photography in an obtuse way (I won't blame him for that - I dislike a lot of it too).

The bit that sticks in my mind is the 'many subjects which are avoided because we all need that echo of familiarity'... huh? I'd think only a taboo or plain bad taste is avoided (in general).

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by MattUK

Well they say that "there are no new ideas". And in a way this is true. But it's also true that there are new interpretations on existing ideas. It's also worth considering that not everyone has experienced each type of shot Martin describes - so your shot could be the first "above ground landscape with people" that someone experiences

Well this is true and not everyone looks at photobooks, attends exhibitions so their first shot of something might be totally without influence. I wonder though if he is talknig more about students and pros and the work they are creating? My husband is a clinical psychologist and we were chatting the other day about what influences people to take photos of certaint things. I wondered what sort of photographs someone who had never seen photographs of any sort would take ( hardly likely I know unless they'd been blind and suddenly could see) As humans are we attracted to certain colours, shapes and patterns anyway and does this reflect in our photography?

Karen

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by GeoffWessex

Strange Blog! Difficult to read, being in a faint and serif font (and impossible to cut and paste), with some spelling errors ("Bill Eggleston"?). And I still don't see what point he's trying to make.... he's criticising American photography in an obtuse way (I won't blame him for that - I dislike a lot of it too).

The bit that sticks in my mind is the 'many subjects which are avoided because we all need that echo of familiarity'... huh? I'd think only a taboo or plain bad taste is avoided (in general).

I think the content is in an iframe with javacscript so that's why it can't been copied or pasted. The point I think he is making is that we are becoming too obvious and boring in our work. I know he raves over some Argentinian photographers and thinks their work is more visually exciting than the work that come's out of UK uni's at the moment.

Karen

[GeoffWessex]

Thanks Karen.

On your earlier point, I live in a University city here in Canada and one of their professors (of photography) a couple of years back did some presenting/leading at a local kids school and after a couple of weeks handed out about 12 'throw away' cameras. The kids were taken to a couple of well-known local attractions and told to take pictures of what they liked.... so they did, and what a fascinating set of images they were. Most of them included their friends doing 'silly' things but generally they had no hesitation in photographing people..... unlike older people, even quite experienced camera club members, who (for various reasons, many perfectly understandable) tend to shy away from people pictures. They also recorded their impressions of buildings in a very original, dramatic way - nearly all of which would have stood comparison with almost any adult's work.

[Nigel Powles]

The problem with cliches is (know what I mean?) people like and are comfortable with them. When you first get a camera and start to learn how to use it you want to reproduce the sort of image that inspired you to pick up a camera in the first place. Its a bit like learning to play an istrument, you start off playing someone elses tunes and as you improve your own music starts to emerge. As Matt said "no new ideas" maybe not but at least people are having a go.

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by GeoffWessex

Thanks Karen.

On your earlier point, I live in a University city here in Canada and one of their professors (of photography) a couple of years back did some presenting/leading at a local kids school and after a couple of weeks handed out about 12 'throw away' cameras. The kids were taken to a couple of well-known local attractions and told to take pictures of what they liked.... so they did, and what a fascinating set of images they were. Most of them included their friends doing 'silly' things but generally they had no hesitation in photographing people..... unlike older people, even quite experienced camera club members, who (for various reasons, many perfectly understandable) tend to shy away from people pictures. They also recorded their impressions of buildings in a very original, dramatic way - nearly all of which would have stood comparison with almost any adult's work.

Same with my niece. I gave her my husband's camera to use when we went to the zoo and she just walked up to people with no qualms and photographed them. She hadn't been exposed to photography and certainly not studied it and it was interesting what she photographed. Kids have no fear and much more confidence :-)

Karen

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by Nigel Powles

The problem with cliches is (know what I mean?) people like and are comfortable with them. When you first get a camera and start to learn how to use it you want to reproduce the sort of image that inspired you to pick up a camera in the first place. Its a bit like learning to play an istrument, you start off playing someone elses tunes and as you improve your own music starts to emerge. As Matt said "no new ideas" maybe not but at least people are having a go.

I agree and I don't think it just applies to photography either.

Karen

[ABERS]

Of course Mr Parr is absolutely correct in his assumptions. We all take photographic cliches, since most of it, if not all, has been done before. However when reading his blog it becomes more and more obvious that like most of the cognoscenti in all forms of art he has become a cliche himself.

If a comedy scriptwriter was tasked with producing a sketch lampooning so called expert, he or she would come up with the much seen TV cliche where a person is talking down to the hoi-polloi sprinkling it with names that he or she would be able to bet his or her boots on that they had never heard of.