One of the curses of modern photography is that nearly every breathtaking place on Earth has been photographed. And while many, many places continue to offer new angles, conditions, and compositions, some of the most famous have been so well documented that it can be tough (if not impossible) to create something truly original. This video explores the idea of photographing in such locations.

Coming to you from Thomas Heaton, this great video explores a topic that admittedly makes me a bit uncomfortable. In it, he talks about shooting Deadvlei, which you’ve likely seen images of before, and how he struggled to feel satisfied as he didn’t feel anything he created was unique or original, due to the abundance of photographs he’s seen from the site. I have to admit it makes me uncomfortable to think about, as I want to visit these locations and make my own versions of those photos, and in some sense, the personal experience could be enough value to justify the time and effort, but the point he makes about artistic originality is certainly still valid. I don’t necessarily have an immediate answer, but at the same time, perhaps these special places should serve as photographic indulgences more than locations of artistic growth, so long as we continue to push ourselves elsewhere. What do you think?