I read the November 2009 Outdoor Photographer feature article on Ian Plant with great interest. His images "Dreamscape" and "Alien Transmission" blew me away. It was fascinating to read how he deals with the issue of being original as an artist.  Plant says directly, "too often, nature photographers rely on the drama of the scenery to make powerful images ..." and..."too often nature photographers merely ‘chase the light,' waiting for that perfect sunset over a dramatic high mountain lake."
I think maybe dramatic scenery isn't the problem so much as it is, dramatic scenes: locations made famous by being beautifully photographed by dozens if not hundreds of skilled photographers.
Capturing a moment in time from a classic viewpoint, where lighting, and possibly season, are the main differences in composition between one image and another, doesn't help you grow as a photographer. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes you have to get the classic image out of the way before you can branch out and explore new ideas and new places.

Plant complains that too often nature photographers "just show up".  I would complain that too often nature photographers just show up at the classic viewpoints. A friend once told me about a friend of his who would go to Delicate Arch over and over again in order to capture the ultimate image of Delicate Arch. The same friend said he wasn't interested in taking a photograph of Delicate Arch because he thought it was cliché. I think my heart lies somewhere in between.  I know from experience, when I see a beautiful photograph of a stunning location; I want to go there not only to see it for myself, but to photograph it for myself. At the same time, every time I go out to photograph, weather in my own back yard or from the road in Grand Teton N.P., my interest is always in creating timeless art, not something derivative.