Street Signs
Curbside street signs have a long history as a simple yet effective marketing tool for local businesses. Dating back to the 19th century, these signs evolved from painted wooden boards to portable, weather-resistant materials. Their appeal lies in their immediacy and visibility, directly targeting foot and vehicle traffic. Effective at grabbing attention with bold lettering, colors, and humor, they create a personal touch that draws customers in, particularly in busy urban areas or pedestrian-friendly zones.
I have called Georgetown, Texas, home for about a decade now. I love coming to the picturesque town square where some of the buildings were built in the late 1800's. I do portrait shoots here for clients. When I have free time, I go for a stroll in the Square with my camera strapped across my chest.
While sitting on a bench, I was mulling what to shoot next when the thought occurred to me that I should photograph the various marketing signs on sidewalks all over the town center. My hope is that a 100 years from now, a student researching marketing techniques will discover my work to see how street signs were used "back then."
I didn't want to do this mini-project in documentary style. Most of the images you see were shot with Lomography Petzval Art lens (80.5mm f/1.9) and the rendering is soft per the design of this lens. A few of the images were shot with the Industar 50-2 (50mm f/3.5) Soviet lens and the 1960's Nikkor-Q 135mm f/3.5 lens.
