Jason Kottke links today to some statistics released by the Virginia Quarterly Review about the correlation between cliché in poetry and likelihood of publication. It turns out, contrary to their predictions, the connection is pretty strong.
I wonder if same correlation would be found between clichés in photography and the likelihood of success with various contests and magazines. I think the relationship at Flickr Explore hovers somewhere around 99%. Some magazines are particularly bad, too. But then there are some very good publications and contests that do a better job of promoting innovative and interesting work. Most likely, the numbers are still higher than one would expect.
Related: The Greatest Art Photograph Ever, on current trends in art photography cliché, and Advice for those considering entry into the Hey Hot Shot competition at the Jen Bekman Gallery, from slower.net, which includes some great discussion on avoidance of cliché. Could be that Eliot is completely wrong.
To do: Compile the ultimate page of photography clichés. You must reference this list before submitting your work to any publication or contest. The higher your score, the better your chances of winning. Handy for contest judges, too!
Link via: Kottke.org