I've been participating in Donna's
Personal Photo Challenge, and this month's challenge was words and letters, as in signs and books and other unique alphabetical what-nots. Not the least bit like what I usually photograph, but I usually learn something from these new challenges, so here goes.
I had a few minutes to wait for my snowshoeing buddy in Meaford the other day, so I took the chance to check out the signs. The 'big apple' is a well-known landmark, right on the main street. It's often used as a meeting point, as in 'Meet at the big apple!'. But it's for sale - not without some controversy I'm told. Meaford is a town directly north of us, on the south shore of Georgian Bay.
I hopped out of the car and heard music coming from somewhere close. Looking up I spotted the two speakers on this lamp post, providing music for passers-by (along with a sign supporting the local hockey team).
Down the street was this sign which I thought stood out rather abruptly on the main street.
I liked this sign on a popular local restaurant. I've been past it dozens of times, but never looked up carefully until I took this picture - I didn't realize it had an actual leaky canoe above the door!
Right beside the big red apple tourist booth is a statue of a scarecrow (Meaford has a great scarecrow festival in October). I couldn't resist adding it, though there are no letters on this one. With the flat gray light I had to adjust this image a lot to get the texture, but I thought I'd try, so here it is. What do you think? I'll put the scarecrow festival on my photo list for the fall.
These were all shot on a Nikon D3000, with varying focal lengths, at medium speeds, and f14, ISO200. I used to avoid editing photos at all, but now I adjust most of them a little, usually just adjusting the contrast, clarity and sharpness. I use Lightroom for that, and my cardinal rule is to try and keep the photo looking as close as possible to what I actually saw out there in the real world. The bottom photo I did adjust a lot, in an attempt to show up some of the contrasting texture on the sculpture. Sometimes I find that reducing the exposure but increasing the fill light helps do this.
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Wonderful entries for the photo challenge. I like the canoe on top of the restaurant. The apple tourist office sort of reminds me of the old Flying Saucer Pizza place that used to be in Moncton back in the late 60's. It moved to PEI and was repurposed at some point and has gone off the radar since that. :) It would be interesting to see the scarecrow festival in the fall. Meaford sounds like a nice little town.
ReplyDeleteI like your variety of signs - and you did a good job with the ScareCrow!!
ReplyDeleteYou did great with your challenge.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing once you start taking pictures all the things you haven't seen before! : )
Terrific shots!
ReplyDeleteOne hopes some good use is made for that apple building...
The apple building is rather unique, I hope it sees a creative future. Glad you included the scarecrow, I like it and would enjoy seeing photos of the festival.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I know Donna --and go to her blog even though I don't participate in memes. You chose some good ones using words and letters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for wishing George a Happy Birthday.
Hugs,
Betsy
These are so creative! I love the Leeky Canoe...it's perfect! Great choices for the challenge. I'll have the special at the Pub! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your great photos for the challenge Mr. Gnome! Visiting your blog also showed me some of the beautiful Ontario landscape and snow scenes around your area - really fabulous. As you enjoy cross country skiing and snowshoeing, I get the feeling you haven't minded all that snow this Winter brought!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend from North Carolina - chilly, but no snow.
Mary
I do enjoy winter, partly I'm sure because I feel so cooped up staying inside, so I figure i might as well make the best of it. Don't enjoy those -20 days with a windchill though!
DeleteInteresting bunch of signs. I enjoy a Sunday Stills Photo Challenge once a week. I think it makes me a better photographer:)
ReplyDeleteI believe that the photographer Walker Evans became so obsessed with signs that he began collecting the signs themselves. I can't help thinking that the Big Apple would be the perfect home for a Furry Gnome - or am I taking things too literally here?
ReplyDeleteWell, that might be a little too literal ...., but I could see circumstances...
DeleteGreat assortment of signs for the challenge! I really like the perspective of the first one and the big red apple is a sure-fire focus point! I pity the poor real estate person who has to try to sell it, LOL. I thought the leaky canoe sign was hilarious! The colors really pop in that one too. Statues like the one in your last photo make wonderful subject matter. Your camera meter was working extra hard because of the backlighting in the scene. Exposure compensation can help when you take the photo and lessen the amount of work in post-processing. But you successfully lightened up the statue and really enhanced the texture!
ReplyDeleteLove the canoe sign. I think we might have been to Meaford.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. It sounds like this challenge got you to look at the world around you in a different way, and I think that's neat. I cannot believe that the big apple is for sale and I also cannot believe that someone would specialize in evictions - that seems pretty cold.
ReplyDeleteI want to buy the apple!!! How neat. I'd live in it. Very cute. lol... I wouldn't know what to do with with that much snow! Great pics!
ReplyDeleteAll of your photos are great. The Big Apple on has a bit of Americana melancholy to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Wouldn't that apple make a wonderful backyard playhouse for some lucky child?! Love the Leeky Canoe pub sign - how do people think up these great names? You did a super job on the tweaking of the scarecrow photo. I'd love to attend the Scarecrow Festival. Good photo ops there, I'm sure!
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