An acquaintance many years ago tried to go to a major convention meeting in San Francisco. He was disappointed because, when he found the street leading to it, it read, "No U turn!" He obeyed his understanding of the sign -- as "No! Turn around and go back!"
Jun 10, 2013 at 02:45 PM
Charlie Shugart Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
GCasey wrote:
An acquaintance many years ago tried to go to a major convention meeting in San Francisco. He was disappointed because, when he found the street leading to it, it read, "No U turn!" He obeyed his understanding of the sign -- as "No! Turn around and go back!"
And the French tourist in Phoenix on a hot summer day- who was standing outside a jewelry store that was just robbed.
A policeman aims his gun at the man and yells "Freeze!"
Just a daydream I sometimes have .
Charlie
Rachel, Nevada
State Rt #375
Next door to Area 51
Driving through the beautiful nothingness that makes up so much of Nevada, a man can get thirsty (so can women, but that's not the way the expression goes ).
So pull off the highway at Rachel, pop into the local watering hole, order a cold beer and talk to the locals.
Please remember- some of these good folk are still normal .
I hate to say it, but simply photographing a sign that might be interesting isn't enough on its own. Well, it is if all you want to do is document it and remember it, but if you want to make a memorable photograph that says something more than just "this is a picture of a sign" there has to be some context, some design, some juxtaposition, and maybe something else as well in the equation.
As with most things, opinions on photographs of signs vary.
I like to photograph humorous signs.
I suppose I could develop the concept of why a remotely-located car repair shop might put up a fun sign.
Certainly a psychologist could.
But I prefer just smiling at the humor, and maybe laughing out loud- even when I'm alone .
Here are five more pics of signs that have amused me as I traveled:
1. On a highway just outside my home town in Oregon.
2. Some individualists in the desert southwest resent how the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service keep blocking public access to remote areas. "This land is our land."
3. Especially in the "bad old days," overheating engines were common on hot summer days in the desert.
4. Please note the shop name on the window.
5. Even in China, I was occasionally amused by signs. This shot was taken when the government-mandated "One couple- one child" law was still getting started. But why have it in English also?
With no pretense at creating fine art- maybe some will get a chuckle or two from these images- as did I .
Charlie
A client I work for from time to time is quite eccentric and enjoys collecting/fixing/selling signs of various sorts; some quite old and expensive. One day I decided to count how many signs were on and around his house. The total was around 465 on the outside of his house/garage/greenhouse/fence, etc.
Then there were about 250 inside his house. His wife did have boundaries however, as there were a couple of rooms inside the house which were limited or forbidden from the sign decorations.
Jun 15, 2013 at 06:46 PM
Charlie Shugart Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Terry- your eccentric eclectic collector of signs seems to use the "Midnight auto supply" technique.
All those government signs were probably purloined without permission of the government .
Charlie
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