Take a path for example. It makes for great perspective and depth, and also evokes a sense of thoughtfulness. Here's a great example of what I'm talking about. I didn't take this picture, but it's a great embodiment of the cliche.
The path draws your eye through the scene, and makes the picture look like it has great depth. It also contains another cliche - trees. Yes they are beautiful and yes they are wonderful to photograph, but everyone does it.
Here's another cliche - famous tourist landmarks done with a really nice camera. For example, look at this photo I found of the Empire State Building, one of the most famous buildings in the world.
The thing about this photo, and the one above, is yes, they're in focus, and yes they're pretty, but they are both lacking in uniqueness and originality.
Now, here's my point for this blog. Sometimes, you can take a really cliche subject or style, like trees or landmarks, and use just a few formal techniques to make it unique. Cliches are, in my experience, a fantastic way to find inspiration.
One way to make things a bit more unique is to focus on one aspect of what you're trying to photograph, instead of the image as a whole. Let's take trees for example. I did a series called "Bark" where instead of looking at the different kinds of trees in their entirety, I decided to look at the contrast, texture, and lines that their barks create. I shot at a macro level, and make them black and white to really show off their uniqueness. Here's just a few of the keepers:
Let's tackle another few techniques that can make something cliche look cool and original. How about landmarks. Here's a few tricks. First off, offsetting the subject to the left or the right makes things already look more dynamic. Cropping in also helps change things up. Remember that picture of the Empire State Building? Here's another one I found:
See how simply cropping in, offsetting the subject, and adding some perspective can completely change an image?
Check out how I tackled this. I am currently on my honeymoon in New York City, and so of course my pictures are full of cliche landmarks. I am really trying to use these tips to make my pictures more unique than the average New York photos. Here's a few of my favorites:
