3. Project Neon & New York Neon

Two New York photographers share a passion for neon lights. Kirsten Hively started Project Neon in 2010 by taking pictures of neon signs in the Upper East Side, near her new workplace. She put the photos up on Flickr, and after confirming their popularity, a successful Kickstarter led her to start an iPhone app allowing easy access to her photos. She is even selling prints of her photos on an Etsy store. Hively is taking a brief break from the project to deal with some personal health issues, but she anticipates to be back by Fall.

Thomas Rinaldi’s book, New York Neon, also contains plenty of photos of New York neon signage. However, this tome, published in late 2012, focuses more on documenting the history of neon signs in the city. Unlike Hively’s project, New York Neon is not ongoing, but Rinaldi did spend a lengthy five years searching for, photographing, and researching neon signs. His book even details how neon signs are made.