Why Cliché Has Its Place

A cliché flag shot, but hey it’s Italy and it adds context.

David. Yes it’s cliché, but it’s David! Of course, I wanted to capture at least one in his full glory.

The iconic Basilica of Santa Maria Novella at the heart of Florence. Touristy, yes. But why not capture it to document my holiday just for myself? I did get some other unique compositions after this point-and-shoot type photograph.

Is this too cliché?

It’s a question I’ve asked myself more times than I can count, often right after taking what feels like a photograph that has “been done before.” Especially when traveling, I find myself drawn to those emblematic scenes, the iconic ones etched into our collective mind. A well-dressed old Italian gentleman walking on the cobblestone streets, the Colosseum golden in the morning sun, the way light spills across a flower stall in Paris. More times than not, I just take the photo if something catches my eye for any reason, and think about it later. But sometimes I hesitate and wonder if the photograph is too obvious, too expected, too cliché. I’ll look at that cliché shot, thinking, what’s even the point? Is it this too contrived? Will I even share it in my portfolio or social feed because it’s so cliché? Gosh, isn’t there something about your photo or your work being called cliché that hits like a dull thud in your chest? That word carries such a sting. As if your photograph or your work isn’t entirely original, and you missed the mark by stepping into the too obvious, too done, too seen.

But over time, I’ve come to see clichés not as something to avoid, but as something to embrace and make our own.

Clichés are cliché for a reason! There’s a pull to them, a resonance in our general visual collective. A certain beauty, composition, or emotion so universally felt or appreciated that it has been returned to, again and again, by countless eyes and lenses. Sometimes, clichés are bold, loud, and unmistakable. Other times, it lives in the smallest details: the way a coffee cup is framed in morning light, the flutter of linen curtains in an open window, a sunflare on someone’s portrait.

A cliché only becomes one because it works! Because it resonates with us, because it’s an iconic view or a classic scene or a subject that touches our spirit. Cliché connect with us collectively for whatever reason, some for more than others. Think of iconic captures of scenes or landscapes that we’ve all seen before that visually scream cliché. For example, a postcard composition that represents a country or a city, or a landmark. When I was studying abroad in Paris, I remember seeing all the tourists flee to the balcony of the Eiffel Tower to capture that view. It’s a cliché shot, but it is for a reason; it’s beautiful and iconic! And if I were a tourist with my camera seeing the view from the Eiffel Tower for the first time, you bet I would take that shot!

Cliché is not the enemy. Contrived, perhaps, or over-styled, maybe. But the image that tugs at your spirit, even if it’s been seen a thousand times before, is still worth taking, I think, because you can capture it in your unique way. I’ve changed my relationship with cliché, and I’ve stopped seeing it as something to avoid. When I arrive at an iconic place or a scene that is dripping with cliché elements, I take the obvious photograph, the one everyone has taken, the one we see posted on Instagram or see in postcards, because why not? It’s a beautiful/compelling/interesting pick-your-adjective frame for a reason, and I may never return to that place ever again. It’s part of the experience, part of the joy. Sometimes it’s just capturing the cliché photo as a way to remember your time, or documenting your journey where you’ve been, a photo for your own personal visual diary.

But after I’ve taken the cliché shot, I begin to look again for a different composition. What angle haven’t I considered? What shift in light or perspective might change the scene? I try and add my spin on it, whereby maybe the whole subject or scene isn’t entirely in the frame. How can I make this mine? How can I capture this scene or subject in my style? Perhaps I don’t love this version because it feels like I was trying too hard to be different, when, in truth, I may actually prefer the simplicity and honesty of the cliché shot! And that’s the point, really. There’s no need to reject the cliché shot if it speaks to you, but don’t pack up just yet. Let it be an invitation to take one or two steps further in your own style and visual voice. Capture it in your way with your unique spin.

There’s a balance to strike. If we only ever chase the iconic version of a place, our work risks becoming indistinguishable from the endless scroll of Pinterest boards or Instagram discover page. Our voice dilutes, dissolving into the visual noise. But if we reject clichés completely, we risk missing something essential, something that resonated with thousands before and still sparks something within us.

So I say, take the cliché shot, but don’t stop there. Keep looking further and add your unique flair and flavor to it. When you are looking at a cliché composition or subject, are there other elements or something else that someone might miss, or are there other compositions worth capturing? What do you see that others might miss? This takes another layer of awareness of our surroundings and all the possibilities around. There is always something in the environment to make it yours! Be it a reflection, another element, a frame, a different camera angle. There are many ways to transform a cliché shot or scene into something of your own. Let that guide you toward something more personal, your version of whatever that capture is.

Cliché and touristy yes, but for me its a memory of my holiday.

Is there anything more cliché to represent England than a red phone box? But it’s a classic icon!