Neon Signs: In Search of the Lost Art

I don't know if neon sign making is a lost art or just one fading (sorry for the pun) because business owners can't justify the cost of it anymore, but the more I look for good neon signs the fewer I find. I guess that's why when I see a great sign I have to stop and photograph it. In fact, I keep a notepad in my car and if I'm out driving and find a great example but can't stop, I make a note to go back and shoot the sign later.

The motel sign here was found in Norwalk, Connecticut and it's one of the best motel signs I've ever seen--and certainly the last great piece of neon art on the Boston Post Road in Norwalk. Photographing the sign was simple--I just took a matrix meter reading and shot at that exposure, bracketing here and there by one stop (over and under) just to be sure that I got a useful frame. I shot in RAW too so that I could play with the exposure and saturation even more in Photoshop CS3. I really didn't do anything to this shot though--it's almost exactly as it came out of the camera.

I'd love to organize a nationwide traveling exhibit of photos of neon--it seems like we're letting a great piece of American art slip away. In fact, I'd love to start a "save neon" movement and try to protect the great signs that remain. For now though, I'll just make sure I do stop the car and get the photos while the signs are still there to shoot. You do that too. For more on how to photograph neon, visit the night photography tutorial on my main site or pick up a copy of my new book Exposure Photo Workshop.

By the way, if you happen to have any great shots of neon, email them to me and I'll post them on this blog!

Comments

[Eileen Thompkins]

I am a glassbender and one of few Neon Specialist in the sign industry.

I can directly attribute my art to the innovative "channel letter" used to brand chain stores and franchise business nationwide.

In the late 80's these new sign were popping up from coast to coast and new artist like me had to be trained in the art of glassbending to handle the huge demand.

In the late 90's the Neon trade would again be affected again by a "Channel letter" innovation. New LED technology companies positioned their products to replace the neon used to light channel letters.

Though LED continues to fail in reaching its promise of equaling neon both in light output and longevity, sign company owners enjoy the fact that you need not be highly skilled to light a sign.

LED lighting has decreased demand for neon significantly and Neon Artists like me are once again becoming a new rare breed.

If you long to see neon that harkens back to the early days of pectoral signage check out this "lost neon art" on the web at www.empressneon.com.

[Columbus Neon]

The loss of the neon art form is a sad thing. Florescent lighting with plastic coverings and LED don't come close to the skill needed and aesthetic beauty of neon signage. LED may be inexpensive to own and operate, but I don't think it has the drawing power that neon does, which is why a smart business would and should use neon. I am not a business owner, so maybe I am wrong, but I am hoping as a fan of the art form, that neon makes a comeback in the 21st century!