Its a sign.

Kathryn at the "Welcome to Hobbiton" sign, New Zealand

Signs are everywhere.  What does the song say?  "Sign, sign, everywhere a sign."  There is not much you can do about them, rather than to deface them or remove them without permission, both of which are illegal and will likely get you into trouble.  So, instead of fighting them, embrace their presence and use them in your shots.  When doing a show of your adventures, a page for your album, or just for your own reference, incorporate a sign saying where it was you were or what was happening there.  

Then, to embrace the concept further, take a picture of a sign with one of your travelling companions.  Instead of it being an eye soar, it now becomes a memory.  Capture the moment that testifies, "We have arrived," to prove to others and yourself that your quest has been fulfilled.  And it is not something you dug up on the internet because, lo and behold, there you are with it.  An amazing event to be sure - perhaps not as good as being at the actual place it advertises, but still an impressive accomplishment.

Think too of the time you went hiking or were travelling on some trail with less than impressive markings.  There, at the start, is a sign - a display board - with a map of where you will be going.  Right beside it is an empty box of map reference sheets which, if present, would help you on your journey.  You also could have downloaded a map from the internet, but didn't for one of a hundred reasons.  So, what do you do?  Take a photo of the sign and refer to it as you walk.  Press play on your camera and scroll through the images until you find the one of the map.  Then press the "+" sign, which likely does double duty with another function (for example, canon users will find the + and - functions associated with the focus position and exposure lock buttons).  With every press you get increased magnification.  Use the navigation keys to zoom in on your particular area and use the information to complete your journey.  

Then, of course, there are the signs which are fun to shoot just because they are so interesting.  Silly signs, funny signs, signs which are no doubt embarrassing to some, and signs questioning the sanity of certain politicians.  All are worthy of your photographic patronage.  My favourite sign says, "Welcome to Saskatchewan, where every creature belongs, right next to the mashed potatoes."  I have a few such shots in my collection.

There are signs which are a pain.  Once again the song says, "Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind."  I am referring to those gargantuan bill boards meant to solicit products or services.  OK, I am not a fan of those, and have never photographed one with or without a person in them.  However, I suppose they are a sign of the times.

Thanks for reading.  www.ericspix.com