Why Martin Parr Photographs Cliches on Purpose
Nothing seems more ordinary than a tourist photo. Crowds posing at monuments, people copying the same gestures, the same angles, the same idea of a perfect memory. But Martin Parr turned this everyday ritual into one of the sharpest observations about modern life. In this video, we look at how he uses cliches, crowds and tourist behavior to reveal something funny, strange and surprisingly honest about who we are and how we see the world.
Why do we all take the same photo at famous places?
That is the question behind the video above, and it reveals something deeper about how we use photography. At tourist sites, most of us try to avoid crowds or hide strangers from the frame. We want the moment to look unique, as if it belonged only to us. But Martin Parr shows that this desire for uniqueness often makes our photos identical. The cliche pose, the perfect angle, the expected shot. We repeat the same ritual without even noticing.
Parr does the opposite. Instead of fighting the cliche, he steps right into it. He watches how people behave around monuments and landmarks, how they copy gestures, how they perform for the camera, how they try to create a memory. And by photographing the cliche rather than avoiding it, he reveals something honest about us. Not just how we travel, but how we see ourselves.
It made me think. Maybe the crowd is not a distraction. Maybe the cliche is not a mistake. It might be the key to understanding what we all long for when we take a picture: proof that we were there, that the moment mattered, that we belong in the story of the place.
So the question becomes: what do your photos say about the way you see the world? And what patterns do you repeat without noticing?
I am curious to hear your thoughts under the video.
