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As a contrast to Ade's cliche photo thread I thought I'd start one of originality.
While cliche's are near on impossible to avoid these days how about original shots? Are these also almost impossible to produce? I did start a thread several years ago on the same subject but now we can add pics it makes it more interesting. Have you taken a shot you're convinced is original. Upload it and see if one of the eagle eyed members can find a similar image that has previously been uploaded.
Here's mine to kick off
I challenge you to find similar!
All my original ones happen to be totally rubbish though.......
Its very hard to find originality in a given category, what is it anyway?, a view no one has seen before, an image that doesn't conform to the usually accepted guidlines and rules of composition. I find it very difficult to do within the narrow band of style that I prefer to do and to a point where I don't even try for originality but just hope that my variations on a theme are enough.
I guess this is as close as I can get to originality here but only because I can say that almost 99% of folk who view it will not have stood on top of this summit in conditions like this, but is it original?, I doubt it somehow.
John
Trouble is though Pete, I think most folk with a camera can produce something original, I could take a shot of something I've written on my yellow sticky pad in front of me now and say this is original but is it original and good? No, it would be totally useless, without meaning, no aesthetics and irrevelent but fairly original.
I think the mark of great photographers are the ones who consistently produce photos that are original in idea, message or story but are also aesthetically fabulous to look at as well.
Anyone got any of these perhaps?, not meaning yours above isn't btw....
Quote: I think the mark of great photographers are the ones who consistently produce photos that are original in idea, message or story but are also aesthetically fabulous to look at as well.
Absolutely that's harder to achieve and certainly harder to follow through with because fewer people are likely to admire it.
Quote: I could take a shot of something I've written on my yellow sticky pad in front of me now and say this is original but is it original and good?
bit like
this, perhaps? 
(from Warbs portfolio)
Quote: My upload yesterday is sort of original, or different from the norm anyway.
Anna I feel you've always had a freshness in your portfolio - right from those cartoon style self portraits to your backlit kids to your more recent still-lifes. Always inspiring to view.
Trickier to find totally original stuff, but here's one that I've not really seen done before...
I try to see familiar stuff from a different angle
Goth on a Wind Farm in Winter
I'd not seen any alternative models on a wind farm before, so suggested it to Trish and she went for it... and froze for her trouble
Can I elaborate on the idea of originality a bit with a question?
Do "original" photos have to have something else other than their "original" concept or theme, such as great composition, strong story, etc to actually able them to be recognised for their originality?
Can originality on it's own carry a photo?
I think the yellow sticky above is quite original but because of what is written on the pad, that it's a polaroid of a message to do what he obviously did.
Or is originality a by-product of good message, composition, colours etc?
I've confused myself now...
lol - just post a shot "you" think is original John, its easier that way
maybe explain why you think its original too
ok - the comment I put on this shot read...
We've all seen and taken fantastic sunset shots with the statue refelcted in the sand, so why bother reinventing a wheel when you can try crafting a littel different?
Anyway, this is me running around on the sand as Steve hit my remote release to capture lots of me
So this shot was designed to be the antithesis of the classic Crosby shot.
Quote: Lol - just post a shot "you" think is original John, its easier that way
maybe explain why you think its original too
I posted this one Ade, it is the most original one I could think of from my pf but only because most folk will not have seen this view either in real life or in a photo with these conditions. However, I don't think it is original in the truer, bigger sense. It is a wide angle vista type shot, it more or less conforms to recognised landscape compositional formulas and it won't strike many as being ground breakingly different from any other shot from the top of a mountain.
Brings me to another question.
Are we likely to think a photo is original simply because we have never seen a scene before or because we have never thought of a particular creative idea ourselves before?
So in my example, you may not have seen this particular scene before but you will have seen many examples of photos from the top of mountains, is it original to you?
It isn't to me.
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