Is there any subject matter that isn't cliche?

[photoguy6405]

Seriously.

[JeffreyG]

Nope!

[Jim G]

Take it as a challenge ;)

[neumanns]

Rarely see good HDR shot's of a sunset with toothless seniors as the foreground intrest.

[Glenn NK]

Nope!

That's pretty well right on the money.

[vkalia]

Purely as subject matters go - probably not. Virtually everything has been photographed anyway. However, that doesnt mean there is no room for a new approach.

Problem is - every new approach soon becomes a style and from there, it is a few clicks away from becoming a cliche.

This is not always a bad thing. Shooting cliched shots is a good way to improve one's own skills (just as budding painters are also required to paint copies of famous masterpieces), and provides a stepping stone for new photographers to develop their own style.

Also, a body of work on a particular subject will necessarily have some cliched shots - some shots are cliches for the simple reason that they are best way of expressing a particular concept or theme. These shots still work b/c of how they fit into the theme of the overall portfolio and because they provide support to more original imagery.

But when a photographer is shooting merely to achieve a popular look or because s/he feels that is what is the expected shot is, then they are not doing meaningful photography.

I know this is going to hiss a lot of people off. It did in the other thread. But I stand by it.

At this point, let me head off the chorus of people saying "we are free to shoot what we want - who are you to tell us otherwise". Of course you are. No one is saying you arent. Feel free to shoot whatever subject you want. Not all photography has to be meaningful, not everyone wants to create art, and as long as each of us is happy with what we are doing, that's the main thing.

However, that does not mean all photography has the same merit. To argue that would be taking political correctness to the extreme.

If someone is shooting for their own pleasure or reasons, it doesnt matter what others think (I certainly dont care what others think of my photos of my dogs, for example).

On the other hand, if someone is shooting to develop their artistic vision, it is useful to hear what others have to say, if only for feedback. Then they can decide whether or not the feedback means anything to you.

So if you are offended by people calling HDR images/birds on stick/Asian old man portraits cliches, you can choose to ignore it if you dont care what others think, or you can ask if there is any merit to this and try to find a way to go beyond the cliches. This is just a discussion, FFS - no need to feel threatened. It isnt as if anyone is saying you cannot shoot cliches. People are free to shoot what they want, others are free to have an opinion on the results.

Vandit

[vkalia]

Btw, if anyone thinks that non-cliched shots of everyday subjects cannot be taken, try Jim Zuckerman's site:
http://www.corporatefineart.com/-/corporatefineart/