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Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Oh See O.C.

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Oh See O.C.
“Oh See O.C.” — The O.C. McDonald sign in San Jose, California

This is not the first time I have photographed this sign. I walk a lot, and one of my routes takes me past this place, the site of a venerable light industrial business in San Jose. The accidental abstraction of the shadows from the neon light always gets my attention, and I can barely see the actual sign now that this comes to the foreground of my attention.

This place is located in an area that is rapidly changing. Years ago it was filled with small businesses and light industrial sites, the latter likely because of its proximity to a rail hub. Over time, like so many similar areas, it began to decay — there are now many abandoned buildings and closed businesses. However, this area that was formerly considered to be far enough from the city center to house less attractive businesses now feels like it is in the center of town. It is rapidly become a development site with new apartments and businesses. It won’t be long before places like “O.C. McDonald” are lost to memory.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Urban/Street

Oh See!

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Oh See!
An old business sign in San Jose, California.

Oh See!. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An old business sign in San Jose, California.

This is not the first time I have shared a photograph of this sign. In fact, in the past I shared a color version of essentially the same photograph, one in a series that I quickly “snapped” while on a long urban walk. The sign is almost iconic in this part of the world.

You could regard this photograph in any of several ways. On one level, it is a sort of record shot that captures a specific instance of a certain rapidly-fading sort of commercial sign, a one-of-a-kind bit of commercial graphics that seems to be fading from this increasingly urbanized area. I think it is also an example of seeing beyond the literal nature of the thing. When I look at it, what I find most interesting is the relationships between the painted letters and the shadow versions created by the sun shining on the old neon lamps.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Oh See!

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Oh See!
An old neon sign in full sun.

Oh See! © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An old neon sign in full sun.

I try to take (almost) daily walks in various areas around the South San Francisco Bay Area — occasionally trail walks, but more often just neighborhood walks that take me through residential areas, business districts, and locations where various companies have their warehouses and workspaces. Although I almost always bring a camera along, I usually don’t stop to photograph. But every so often I am glad that I lugged the thing along. (If nothing else, carrying a camera changes my orientation to my surroundings and forces me to see more and more clearly.)

This business sign has been at this location for a very long time. The surrounding neighborhood is rapidly changing as the area converts from older business (and, at one time, extensive cannery facilities) to more urbanized tenants: shopping centers, condominium/apartment buildings, and similar. But the history is only part of what fascinated me about this sign. It also presented a sort of visual puzzle, in which the shadows of the old neon tubes produce a sort of synthetic alphabet on top of the less-legible lettering.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.