Will street signs still exist in 100 years? Photographs help remind what the past was like.Photographers often go to great lengths to shoot the most impressive subjects as possible: a stunning Florida sunset, a beautiful model, nature, etc. Such subjects make it easy to create a memorable photograph. However, oridinary scenes and objects should not be overlooked by the modern photographer, for in one hundred years from now, what is modern will appear quaint. I recall seeing old photographs of a street construction crew. At the time the photograph would have appeared very ordinary. To modern eyes, the photos were very interesting to see how construction workers dressed back then, what they brought with them for lunch, what machinery were they using.
I made the above non-descript street sign shot while teaching a DSLR Photography lesson to just demonstrate how easy it is to create bokeh using a 50mm lens. Back at home I was halfway to deleting it when I paused and recalled the old construction crew shots. Maybe in 2111 there will be someone wondering what it was like to cross a street that had actual cars on it.
In my own personal shooting over the fall I will shoot a series of "ordinary scenes & objects" with the aim of documenting daily life in 2011 in case anyone in the future has the same fondness I have for looking at old photos of such things.