NYC, Mural Fingers
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A cliché expression is one that is hackneyed i.e. an overused trite expression that reveals lack of original thought.
A cliché photograph too is unoriginal, having been taken countless times by many people. A classic one for me is that of the leaning tower of Pisa being pushed over by a tourist or being supported by a tourist. We were in Pisa and the vast lawn in front of the tower was filled with people doing one or the other while being photographed. Boring!
In Manhattan there is a striking mural on 9 East 59 th Street, just off 5 th Avenue. It is described online as being “easily Instagrammable.” Indeed, a cursory search reveals that many people have been plucked off the sidewalk by those fingers. I suspected as much when I took this photo and the challenge for me was how to do this without it falling into the cliché trap.
It turned out to be quite challenging. Timing had to be perfect. My position on the opposite sidewalk had to be perfect, with me facing the building squarely. The subject too, needed to be just right. I deliberately waited for a black car to drive into the frame just as I took the photo of the man dressed in black. Now there was a narrative, a hint of mystery.
As mentioned earlier, others have taken a similar photo. None seem to have paid much attention to detail. Doesn’t even a cliché photograph deserve to be taken seriously?