Difficult to Photograph Signs

Started by vdeane, September 03, 2024, 09:28:46 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

vdeane

Anyone have some signs that, for whatever reason seem very difficult to photograph?  I've been tying to get a picture of this sign on I-490 for over a year now since the "[I-90] Jct" legend is kinda unusual.  However, despite multiple attempts, I keep failing.  Usually I just forget until I'm right on top of it (or I just plain don't have my camera on me, since I rarely bring it to Rochester), but this weekend, I resolved that I would finally do so.  I had two tries, and remembered both times and had my camera ready, but both times it failed to take the picture in time and I ended up with a blurry shot of nothing.  Talk about horrible luck!  :ded: But in this case, I think it's not just luck.  Its position right after the curve and right after the truck inspection sign, along with I-490 being pointed right at the afternoon sun, and the roadway configuration of the area resulting in it being "one chance per trip" with no ability to try again, add up to make it a very difficult sign to get a picture of.  Short of stopping on the side of the road and getting out of my car, I've figured at this point that I'll probably never get a picture of it.

Anyone have any other signs that have vexed them for whatever reason?

Mods feel free to move if this was the wrong spot for the thread (or if we've discussed this before and I've forgotten).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


Rothman

That "THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST TEXT" sign currently on AARoads' FB page.  Catches me by surprise every time I pass it.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Max Rockatansky

#2
The "Scenic Highway End" assembly on westbound CA 152 at Pacheco Pass surprisingly hard to get a decent photo of.  The sign is at the end of a steep uphill climb just behind a right lane merge.  The curve doesn't give you much time to prepare for a photo also unless you know the sign is there.

152CAcSend by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

ClassicHasClass

Signs hidden by bushes. Trim the freaking greenery already. Don't you understand I'm trying to photograph it?  :sombrero:

formulanone

Quote from: Rothman on September 03, 2024, 10:28:21 PMThat "THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST TEXT" sign currently on AARoads' FB page.  Catches me by surprise every time I pass it.

I think that's on a curve, if it's the one on I-80 approaching the eastern Ohio/Pennsylvania border.


bzakharin

Quote from: formulanone on September 04, 2024, 02:40:34 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 03, 2024, 10:28:21 PMThat "THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST TEXT" sign currently on AARoads' FB page.  Catches me by surprise every time I pass it.

I think that's on a curve, if it's the one on I-80 approaching the eastern Ohio/Pennsylvania border.


It's ironic that this sign is encouraging the exact kind of behavior it has been erected to avoid.

Jim

It took me many trips up and down US 301 to be prepared to get the one-off Florida 200 north of Ocala.

Finally got it on a ride in 2012.

Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

formulanone

Quote from: bzakharin on September 05, 2024, 04:30:10 PM
Quote from: formulanone on September 04, 2024, 02:40:34 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 03, 2024, 10:28:21 PMThat "THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST TEXT" sign currently on AARoads' FB page.  Catches me by surprise every time I pass it.

I think that's on a curve, if it's the one on I-80 approaching the eastern Ohio/Pennsylvania border.


It's ironic that this sign is encouraging the exact kind of behavior it has been erected to avoid.

Well, I didn't use my phone...

Max Rockatansky

Photos from the phone aren't text messages though. 

Jim

Here's one on the WB Mass Pike that I tried to get many times (probably over a span of 12-15 years) but since I tended only to go by there late in the day, my pictures were always backlit and never worth keeping.  Finally got one in 2015.

Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

paulthemapguy

It might go without saying, but the decision to maintain safety above all else is the best decision to make while snapping photos.  If the decision is between safety and photo quality, it's always worth it to sacrifice photo quality. So I am glad that you are here and you are safe, even if the photos aren't turning out the way you would like.
Avatar is the last interesting highway I clinched.
My website! http://www.paulacrossamerica.com Now featuring all of Ohio!
My USA Shield Gallery https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHwJRZk
TM Clinches https://bit.ly/2UwRs4O

National collection status: Every US Route and (fully built) Interstate has a photo now! Just Alaska and Hawaii left!

Max Rockatansky

Absolute safety has rarely left me with a sense of satisfaction when it comes to engaging in road related matters.  That variable no doubt plays a significant role in the roads I chose to drive in my spare time. I'm finding the lesser of a guarantee of safety a road has, the more fun I find it to be.  Irony being is that a lot of the weirder (arguably less safe) backroads I tend to travel tend to way be easier to photograph that mainline or limited access corridors.   

Henry

Quote from: Jim on September 05, 2024, 09:15:34 PMHere's one on the WB Mass Pike that I tried to get many times (probably over a span of 12-15 years) but since I tended only to go by there late in the day, my pictures were always backlit and never worth keeping.  Finally got one in 2015.


For comparison purposes, this is the same interchange in the present day. Notice that Exit 6 is now Exit 51, and the new gantry replaces the Exit 5 (currently 49) sign with a pullthrough for I-90/Mass Pike.

FWIW, I'm not well-known for taking photos of the road, even when someone else is driving. It feels like a distraction for me, and I've always feared that they may not come out right, but at least I can now re-create the various signage in Road-Related Illustrations! :)
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

vdeane

Quote from: Henry on September 06, 2024, 11:28:02 PMFWIW, I'm not well-known for taking photos of the road, even when someone else is driving. It feels like a distraction for me, and I've always feared that they may not come out right, but at least I can now re-create the various signage in Road-Related Illustrations!
It is definitely a skill.  It took a few trips before I started having photos come out consistently decent, and a couple years before they started consistently being of my preferred quality.  Of course, even now, there are exceptions, because taking photos from a moving vehicle is more of an art than a science, especially if the majority of one's attention has to remain on driving.

Point and shoot cameras from 20 years ago definitely work better than a phone here!  I can't even imagine phone photos working... maybe if there was a dashboard mount and the photographer was always the passenger, but even then, it would probably be very hit or miss and require a high-end phone that can get decent image quality.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Max Rockatansky

I use an iPhone 11 for my photos.  All I do is utilize a black cloth and have the photo defaulted to take photos.  Basically it just takes two thumb clicks to get the camera open.  I typically use 1.3-1.6x zoom depending on what kind of glare I'm facing. 

As of late I've gotten pretty good at spotting shade in the terrain for use my photos.  Typically I take a three shot burst and save the best photo when I download everything for editing.

epzik8

Quote from: Jim on September 05, 2024, 09:15:34 PMHere's one on the WB Mass Pike that I tried to get many times (probably over a span of 12-15 years) but since I tended only to go by there late in the day, my pictures were always backlit and never worth keeping.  Finally got one in 2015.



I love those old signs in Massachusetts and Connecticut where they appeared to have just put white text and an outline for state route markers and used the sign itself as a background.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

My clinched highways: http://tm.teresco.org/user/?u=epzik8
My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

ClassicHasClass

Quote from: vdeane on September 07, 2024, 02:46:29 PMPoint and shoot cameras from 20 years ago definitely work better than a phone here!  I can't even imagine phone photos working...

Like many things, though, it depends on the phone. My Pixel 7 Pro definitely focuses faster but my point and shoots have better colour (using the P7P 5x optical lens tends to give pictures a bit of a yellow cast). I haven't been happy with iPhones and road photography; I've found the Google Camera processing tends to make even bad shots better than you'd think. Ultimately the best camera is the one you've got, of course.

However, for roadgeeking that I really care about, I still use a "flying" HD video camera set to a fast shutter rate white-balanced against the windscreen, and just take 1080p stills directly off it.

DRMan

Quote from: epzik8 on September 07, 2024, 07:30:19 PM
Quote from: Jim on September 05, 2024, 09:15:34 PMHere's one on the WB Mass Pike that I tried to get many times (probably over a span of 12-15 years) but since I tended only to go by there late in the day, my pictures were always backlit and never worth keeping.  Finally got one in 2015.



I love those old signs in Massachusetts and Connecticut where they appeared to have just put white text and an outline for state route markers and used the sign itself as a background.

That was the standard in Connecticut, but this is the only sign in Massachusetts (that I know of) with the state route shield done like this.

wanderer2575

I've tried several times to get what I consider a decent photo of this gantry on wbd I-94 at I-75 in downtown Detroit.  Not a wide enough shoulder to pull over, and the pavement is buckled so it's darn near impossible to hold a camera steady and get the framing I want.  The left sign in particular is the reason I want the photo, as it's the only LEFT exit tab I've seen in Michigan that doesn't match the width of the exit number tab.

Quote from: paulthemapguy on September 06, 2024, 10:51:50 PMIt might go without saying, but the decision to maintain safety above all else is the best decision to make while snapping photos.  If the decision is between safety and photo quality, it's always worth it to sacrifice photo quality. So I am glad that you are here and you are safe, even if the photos aren't turning out the way you would like.

No doubt, but I concede I have pulled at least a couple stupid moves in getting a photo.  Pulling onto a nearly non-existent shoulder in the middle of a construction area and walking back a couple hundred feet to get a photo of the wbd I-76/nbd I-77 confirmation assembly in the middle of that interchange probably tops the list.

TheCatalyst31

Quote from: vdeane on September 07, 2024, 02:46:29 PM
Quote from: Henry on September 06, 2024, 11:28:02 PMFWIW, I'm not well-known for taking photos of the road, even when someone else is driving. It feels like a distraction for me, and I've always feared that they may not come out right, but at least I can now re-create the various signage in Road-Related Illustrations!
It is definitely a skill.  It took a few trips before I started having photos come out consistently decent, and a couple years before they started consistently being of my preferred quality.  Of course, even now, there are exceptions, because taking photos from a moving vehicle is more of an art than a science, especially if the majority of one's attention has to remain on driving.

Point and shoot cameras from 20 years ago definitely work better than a phone here!  I can't even imagine phone photos working... maybe if there was a dashboard mount and the photographer was always the passenger, but even then, it would probably be very hit or miss and require a high-end phone that can get decent image quality.

I try to avoid taking pictures while driving for safety reasons, but at least now I understand how other people do it. I haven't had a working point-and-shoot camera in years, so I use a low-end DSLR (good luck using that while driving) or my phone. My phone camera is comparable in quality to my last point-and-shoot, but it's definitely harder to use while driving, so unless I can stop or slow down considerably I usually don't even try.

Max Rockatansky

#20
I couldn't imagine trying to recruit people into driving for me on some of the backroads I visit so I could take pictures as a passenger.  Most people (normals) I know get weirded out just by not being on a freeway.  The reaction to something like Blackrock Road would be entertaining to see. 

Me:  "Hey Jimmy, I know you weren't prepared for this but I want you to drive this eight wide road with the giant cliff for me"
Jimmy:  "You brought me out here, why can't you drive it?"  "What do you mean this road is eight feet wide?"  "What giant cliff?"
Me:  "I need to take photos as a passenger, safety first."  "Don't drive off the giant cliff, we'll both die."

formulanone

#21
Quote from: TheCatalyst31 on September 11, 2024, 12:24:12 AM
Quote from: vdeane on September 07, 2024, 02:46:29 PM
Quote from: Henry on September 06, 2024, 11:28:02 PMFWIW, I'm not well-known for taking photos of the road, even when someone else is driving. It feels like a distraction for me, and I've always feared that they may not come out right, but at least I can now re-create the various signage in Road-Related Illustrations!
It is definitely a skill.  It took a few trips before I started having photos come out consistently decent, and a couple years before they started consistently being of my preferred quality.  Of course, even now, there are exceptions, because taking photos from a moving vehicle is more of an art than a science, especially if the majority of one's attention has to remain on driving.

Point and shoot cameras from 20 years ago definitely work better than a phone here!  I can't even imagine phone photos working... maybe if there was a dashboard mount and the photographer was always the passenger, but even then, it would probably be very hit or miss and require a high-end phone that can get decent image quality.

I try to avoid taking pictures while driving for safety reasons, but at least now I understand how other people do it. I haven't had a working point-and-shoot camera in years, so I use a low-end DSLR (good luck using that while driving) or my phone. My phone camera is comparable in quality to my last point-and-shoot, but it's definitely harder to use while driving, so unless I can stop or slow down considerably I usually don't even try.

Depending on your lens, most DSLRs (or mirrorless equivalents) might weigh between 1-3 pounds. I think the heaviest I feel confident shooting while driving is roughly 2.2lbs (1 kilogram). Many shots I took was with a 50mm prime lens on a Canon T3/1100D. The whole setup weighs about one pound and has a nice grip on it. I moved up to an EOS R and it's about 2 pounds with the standard STM lens. I take less shots with this camera, for that reason.

There's heavier and certainly heftier lenses but then they're "nose heavy" and unwieldy. I've used a few as a passenger-only situation, but they're mostly a waste for road geeks behind the wheel, but will be much more impressive if you actually get out of the vehicle. You're not going to use a 1D/5D/R3 with a battery grip and an L-series lens while driving unless you have massive hands.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.