mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

One of the more interesting lists to consider.

Selfies, weird borders, and crappy sunset shots. We’ve all rolled our eyes at these clichés, but what’s worse is that we’ve all been guilty of them at some time or another. (from PictureCorrect)

25 PHOTOGRAPHY CLICHES TO AVOID (OR ELSE)

Taking selfies. Please stop?

Bokeh, bokeh, and more bokeh. Bokeh is great—in small doses.

Signing your photos. In Kai’s words: “Who do you think you are? Picasso?”

Adding cheesy filters. Just… no.

Putting text on your photos. A good picture already paints a thousand words.

Taking the same-old sunset photos. “Red sky, red sky, red sky, red sky, red sky…”

Using obnoxious watermarks. It’s good to protect your work, but if no one can see your photo behind your large opaque branding, then what’s the point of posting it online?

Adding borders. Don’t be a noob.

Light painting names. Just forget it—the writing would look juvenile anyway.

Creating B&W photos with selective colors. Good for poignant tales. Not so good for random flowers.

Making B&W artistic nudes. A nude is a nude no matter the color space, people.

Blurring waterfalls. If shot incorrectly, blurred waterfalls look like “a load of old ladies’ hairs.”

Capturing boring landscape panoramas. 90 percent of landscape panoramas are probably just green grass at the bottom and blue sky at the top.

Taking lots of cloud photos. Take photos of cool cloud formations, sure—but don’t make clouds and sunsets your entire portfolio!

Inserting fake sun lens flare. Get your own sun flare!

Overdoing HDR. HDR is best done tastefully or not at all.

Changing better-suited color photos to B&W. Just… why?

Using the zoom burst technique. Okay, you can try it ONCE—but never again.

Creating dutch angle shots. You’ll have to work hard to set your dutch angle shots apart.

Making “postcard” images of tourist attractions. You know those touristy shots that you’ve seen a million times? We don’t need another one floating around out there. Try something new!

Photographing people who are less fortunate than you. Everyone photographs homeless people. Make your images unique or don’t make them at all.

Taking “I’m a Photographer” selfies. Don’t you do it!

Every. Single. Stock. Photo. Ever. Made. Perhaps not every stock photo, but certainly most!

Devising optical illusions. You might think you’re clever, but…

Photographing people with trollies. Apparently, Kai does this far too often.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

Lots and lots of arrogance in this list there is.

BebuLamar

"Selfies, weird borders, and crappy sunset shots ''
1. The only time I did selfies (if you call it that) was when I put my camera on tripod, using selftimer to take a picture of me for the passport.
2. My pictures don't have border.
3. I never even once took a picture of sunset.

But the most important thing is I never tell anyone what kind of pictures one should or should not take.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

I agree with all but one of these.
I happen to like B&W nudes. Yes, 'a nude is a nude' but, for me, B&W just works better than color.
I don't shoot them any more but did for decades back when I was shooting film.

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

So I guess that means you guys don't ever read stuff from PictureCorrect.com? 😎. Everybody's got a list, perhaps this one doesn't work for y'all, eh? What's on your list?

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

You've got that right, Yoda! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

You could have shortened this entire list to one sentance.
"Avoid bad photography"!!!
It's not about cliches..., a very, very good photographer has the stills to make ANY cliche shot and make it masterful.
Don't avoid cliches, just learn to make them masterful!!!
Bad photography can make the most beautiful subject and make just a cliche!!!
SS

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

Interesting, but entirely subjective response. Bad/Masterful according to who? The majority, the minority, the individual, you, all the above?

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

And I agree. It all has to do with personal taste.

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

The list is certainly one editor's opinions, but there some good advice buried in there for consideration....

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

Agree with you I do.
But wondering I am, what does this person photograph.
Personally I like Hot Rods, Street Machines, Race Cars, hand built scale plastic model, landscapes, sunsets, and more. I can only assume that most people would soon get tired of me posting photos of machinery.
Don't like the subject matter, move on.
Like the subject, or technique? Say so.
Viva La difference! Or this would be a very boring world.

Haydon

With this list, we might as well leave our cameras in our bags and forget we're photographers in fear of reprisal from the "photography police".

ygelman Loc: new -- North of Poughkeepsie!

The arrogance is in telling people to stop. Why tell them?? -- let them shoot. If you don't like what they shoot, don't keep looking.

Oh, maybe you're trying to teach them something. So, just say "Here's my opinion." In fact, I agree with most of them, but so what? When I look for photos, I pass over the ones I don't like.

mrjcall Loc: Woodfin, NC

One internet site editor stating his judgment based on his body of experience....just as anyone is entitled to do. If it ruffles feathers, well, maybe that's not always a bad thing. Perhaps a kick in the butt from time to time opens eyes to other possibilities....

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA