It’s time for July’s Exploring with a Camera – Yay! This month we are going to explore Signs. Not signs as in symbols or messages from the universe, but signs as in those things printed on placards, streets, building walls, etc. that give us information. Have you ever noticed all of the signs around you? They are everywhere. I started paying close attention to signs a few weeks ago and have been amazed at the variety and of types and uses of signs. There is much here for us to mine photographically!
A building wall in Astoria, Oregon
Types and Uses of Signs
To prep for this topic, I started observing and categorizing the types and uses of the signs around me and that I’ve captured in the past.
Signs are used to inform…
Hot Dog Stand in rural Oregon
to educate…
A little bit of history about Astoria, Oregon
to direct…
Rainy day in Portland, Oregon
to warn…
Greenwich, England
to advertise…
Milan, Italy
to identify or specify a location…
Madrid, Spain
Do you start to see what I mean? I bet you can add even more to this list. Signs don’t have to have words either. Symbols often work just as well for their intended purpose.
Restaurant Sign in Madrid, Spain
Train Station Warning in Bacharach, Germany
Relative to Place
Signs are one of the “aspects of place” we talk about in my class, A Sense of Place. The language, imagery and surroundings of a sign all give you an idea of where the photo was taken. The signs can be the main subject or part of the background, but either way they are great indicator of place, providing the viewer clues to the location.
Lausanne, Switzerland
Chinatown in San Francisco, California
Signs can also highlight cultural differences. Instead of the bright green, reflective street signs we have in the US on every street corner to make things easy for navigation, the Italian street signs are often small marble placards on the side of a building. Impossible to use for navigation in a vehicle, but they look much more beautiful. A definite clue to cultural differences between Italy and the US.
Varenna, Italy
Modified Signs
A sign is created and placed with a specific purpose, but the age-old tradition of modifying signs to give them a different meaning is wonderful for photographers. The best modified signs are often more subtle than the typical spray-paint graffiti. These signs make you look twice!
All around Europe you will see these stickers on “Do Not Enter” signs. I especially loved this one, where the guy is “carrying” papers tucked under his arm along with the bar.
Bologna, Italy
On a family bike ride recently, I came across this modified sign telling visitors to GO AWAY. My husband and son continued to ride ahead, eventually noticing I was gone and wondering what happened to me. “Just a funny sign I had to photograph,” I explained to their worried faces when I caught up, “Sorry!” To my surprise, they hadn’t even seen the sign that stopped me.
Rural Oregon
Artistic License
We can create some wonderful images with signs, changing the sign’s intended meaning as we frame the photograph. I often like to capture one or two words of the sign with some other context to create a new story.
By framing this image with only the word “ART” and the open door and stairway visible behind, I intended the message, “The door is always open to art.” I think the sign actually said, “Art Studio.” Capturing the full sign would have eliminated this message.
The “Dream More” was added by some creative person to the exit sign of a parking lot. By framing it without the giant “Exit” to the right of the arrow, I focus in on the message of the added text.
One of the most fun ways to use signs is to capture humor or irony. The viewer has to look at the whole and then digest the contradictions within the frame to get the message. Of course, you as the photographer have to see it first, to create the image!
Yellowstone National Park, Montana
Chinatown in San Francisco, California
We can also create new messages during our post processing, combining images or words from various signs. These words both came from an old Levi Strauss ad on the side of a building, but by capturing them individually and combining them in my post-processing I create a new message.
Are you starting to see the photographic possibilities with signs? Chances are, you already have photographed many signs in different contexts, without even thinking about it.
We’d all love to see how you use signs! Go out on a photowalk or look through your archive and then come back and share with us your use of signs. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got!
Excellent post!
As I was reading this, I was thinking of all the signs I have captured that just popped in my head. Hmmm, I’m going to have to go make a new folder to gather them all….
It’s amazing how they start to come back, isn’t it? When I was prepping for this I thought of that one from Yellowstone – it’s from 2007!!
From the Canadian group the Five Man Electrical Band:
Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs
[Messin’] up the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign.
I’ve been looking at signs recently, I already have some photos. I’ll look for more. Some are in my “signs of the times” file, in my old commuter, which does not work.
Aha… those song lyrics were running through my head as I wrote and I couldn’t figure out who they were from! Thanks! I look forward to seeing your photos.
You probably remember that I love signs. I’m delighted to give myself a little focus subject. Just back from Cuba where every view is new and fresh, finding a niche here at home might be helpful. Thanks for the great topic.
Awesome! Sometimes it does take a little push to make the familiar new and fresh again, after a wonderful experience like Cuba.
Another great theme, Kat! Love your explanation and examples here! I have taken photos of signs for years, but how to find any of them in my archives will be a challenge, since my photos are in such disarray. Hope to have time to go out and shoot some new ones this week.
I loved yours Kat – I’d posted a few sign ones earlier in the year on the blog but have never really gone out intentionally to photograph them………..that is until last week when I saw an old one for lobsters and I just had to photograph it……………at that stage I didn’t even realise that you were doing signs this month.
Wonderful timing!
What a great theme – i look forward to taking part! Just done my first post!
This was a fun exploration to look into. I found so many in my archives, plus a few very recent photos of signs. My dad used to paint signs by hand for people, doing the fancy lettering and all, back before computer generated signs. I guess I’m drawn to them because of that history.
A wonderful special connection Deborah! I love it!
This has been a fun assignment, Kat! I love your collection of signs!!