Kevin Schaffer Photography: Signs Of The Times

Last December, while on a road trip to Carlsbad Caverns via Roswell, in the middle of nowhere ("the big empty" I called it), we drove through a small, seemingly dying town called Vaughn. What was most notable about the town as we passed through were the abandoned buildings that lined the road, and the old signs for businesses that were either no longer in operation or appeared to be on their last legs. I made a mental note to come back some day, to explore the town a bit and take some photos.

Last weekend we went for a drive, down a road not previously taken, and ended up not too far from Vaughn. A quick run up the road and soon we were there, and I started taking photos of abandoned hotels, cafes, and other buildings. What I really enjoyed were the signs...

Heading west to east on Highway 60, the main drag through town, there's the Yucca Motel...

Then, on the other side of the road not far from the Yucca, is by far the most interesting sign in Vaughn, the one that hovers over the (now defunct) Ranch House Cafe.

While walking under the sign I looked up and noticed the position of the sun in relation to the position of the star on the sign. I thought that if I could get a starburst from the sun hitting the tip of the star on the sign that could be an interesting shot. So, I stopped down my lens to f/16 and took a few shots...