Don’t Avoid The Cliché
It’s great to discover a new and unique composition. Knowing you might very well be the first person to capture an image of a location is a feeling that is hard to beat. The reality is that if you visit any of the classic photography hotspots in the world, the chances of coming away with something unique is next to impossible. So should you avoid these locations? Absolutely not! There is a reason they are a magnetic draw for photographers and you shouldn’t deprive yourself of these stunning places for fear of capturing a cliché or duplicating a shot you’ve seen before.
On my recent trip to Cornwall, I found myself at the Botallack tin mine. The classic image of the Crowns engine houses clinging to the rocks has been shot countless times. There were around a dozen photographers dotted around the site while I was there. All hoping to to capture a sunning sunset. My images are all far from unique but the shear joy of being at such an amazing location far out weighed any misgivings I might have had about the predictability of the composition. Considering its not a quick round trip for me to visit Cornwall it would have been foolish of myself to walk away without grabbing some shots for my own enjoyment.
Ultimately shoot for yourself. As long as it makes you happy then every image is perfect in its own way.