Letterforms

[AdamW]

I've been working on a series that encompasses two of my long-time fascinations. For years I've had an interest in typography, both from an simple aesthetic point of view, and from a practical usability point of view. And I've also long been interested that the city has layers--stuff is built upon other stuff, like a pinter re-using a canvas. This series lets me explore my inner amateur typographer and amateur archeologist.

I look forward to your comments!


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[AdamW]

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[AdamW]

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[SpecialK]

I like them all.

[AdamW]

Thanks, Kyle. :)

[danidabi]

#5 is my fav. I love the colors in that one the most!

[mumbles420]

#1 & 6 are my favorites. I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing with us all.

[AdamW]

I'd love to see your efforts, Brian. I've got more in the pipeline--coming soon-ish.

[AdamW]

Some more. What d'you think?

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[fionndruinne]

Really like these, especially the shallow DoF shots. And the colors on #5 and #12.

Great work.

[AdamW]

Really like these, especially the shallow DoF shots. And the colors on #5 and #12.

Great work.

Thanks for the feedback. I've got a couple of night shots in mind, but I've got to get out and actually do them.

Now I'm thinking about printing some of them, perhaps more than one on a page. Any ideas on layout/design?

[Benjamin2007]

Great idea Adam!
Although I like them all, of your first and second series the following are my favourites: #5 because of its colour and form, #12 because of its shape & colour, and #'s 14 & 15 because of their colour, shape and texture. :)

Below my first attempt to capture a neon sign at night:

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Although I don't mind the cyan shade, the original was a brilliant electric blue, i.e. a darker shade of blue and bright...., not sure how I could've got a closer rendition of the true colour in camera...

I look forward to seeing your night shooting ideas!

regards,

[aparmley]

Adam - I missed this thread completely. I really like the concept - good work.

[AdamW]

Thanks, Andy. I was hoping for more feedback, but the thread's been pretty quiet. Maybe I should add something about the Sony A700, or Four-Thirds, or variable vs constant aperture. Those'd get people's blood up! ;):rolleyes:

[Nickcanada]

Great stuff! I really like "focused" photography, if that makes sense. :o

[AdamW]

Great stuff! I really like "focused" photography, if that makes sense. :o

Do you mean the shallow DoF stuff, or the ones which are more close-up (and are more isolated from their surroundings?)

And what do you all think about that constant aperture lens on an A700? :p

[apeashmore]

Adam...very cool...I like 14... well... I like them all but I think the DOF is really great on that one! Great job

[AdamW]

Some night ones

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[AdamW]

I'd love some C & C, folks.
:)
:o

[apeashmore]

O.K. Adam...you have inspired me to go out and try...I live in a small town with maybe a couple of neon light but I will get them...I will also try to get some day letterforms. Your pictures are amazing...not sure mine will turn out like that. I have been working on a project.. sort of related to letterforms...I want to get pictures of objects in the shapes of letters and then put them together to spell names or what ever... anyways here is my friends name (KAY) I put together for a sample..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2143107312_843f1b0068.jpg

April

[apeashmore]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/2141543417_aed64c732b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2253/2142329946_5765e0c280.jpg

April

[AdamW]

Very nice, April! I've been trying to isolate the letters from their environment by zooming in or cropping) but some shots need a larger context, like your second shot. I really like that one. For the first, I'd move in closer to the "Ford" logo--or further out for more of the truck. But then that'd be an altogether different shot.

[AdamW]

O.K. Adam...you have inspired me to go out and try...I live in a small town with maybe a couple of neon light but I will get them...I will also try to get some day letterforms. Your pictures are amazing...not sure mine will turn out like that. I have been working on a project.. sort of related to letterforms...I want to get pictures of objects in the shapes of letters and then put them together to spell names or what ever... anyways here is my friends name (KAY) I put together for a sample..

April, that reminds me of this:

http://www.pbase.com/abbarich/the_alphabet

[apeashmore]

very cool...some people are really creative...I am having a heck of time with certain letters. I am going to try to get out this morning before my husband goes to work and take some "letterform" pictures....hope they turn out half as good as yours! I have a feeling that the night pictures are going to be tricky though...any advice..remember I am very new to photography so dummy it down !!!!

[AdamW]

Well, I'm new to night pictures, too. My advice: a tripod. Actually, the "Home-made Ice" shot was from the driver's seat of my car, using the partly rolled down window as a brace and 0.6 sec. The "Bi" picture was from the sidewalk across the street with a tripod and 0.4 sec. My hands aren't steady enough to do those without support. Also, I took about eight shots of each, at different shutter speeds because I had no idea what I was doing.

[apeashmore]

O.K. Adam..I had fun this morning. I took a ton but here are a few that turned out o.k.

My Fav
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2256/2143837065_4ee36fb8b0.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2143838511_10f3feae88.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2035/2144636910_6ba7d1df50.jpg

April

http://www.flickr.com/photos/apeashmore

[AdamW]

April, I like the "taft" one, but all three are cool.

[AdamW]

Some matchbooks from 1960s Los Angeles.

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[n20capri]

Awesome stuff...here's my contribution...

Canon Xti w/ Sigma 18-50 F2.8
-50mm
-ISO 100
-F6.3
-1/250
http://www.mikemartinelli.com/ImageFolders/_Photography/Sears.jpg

[n20capri]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/2141543417_aed64c732b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2253/2142329946_5765e0c280.jpg

April

I would certainly say these count...especially the classic FORD script...awesome...

[Aldor88]

This is an old pic but then again, so is the company ^^.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/1545823556_1291617b97_b.jpg

[apeashmore]

Great shot Aldor...was this taken at night?

[AdamW]

I like that s t r e t c h e d out "Kenmore"!

[Aldor88]

Great shot Aldor...was this taken at night? Yup, taken at night.

[AdamW]

Some more....

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[AdamW]

26. Calistoga, California

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[TFitch85]

Great thread idea.. I'm gonna have to get out there and take a few shots to contribute!! Great shots everyone!!

[Benjamin2007]

Detail from a suburban pub's signage:

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cheers :D,

[AdamW]

Nice one, Benjamin!

[Benjamin2007]

Nice one, Benjamin!

Thanks for the kind compliment, Adam.
The full sign/scene is a classic (but not appropriate to the thread).
I'll keep my eyes open for more opportunities and post the results as I come across them...:)

cheers,

[Benjamin2007]

Here are a few signs from one of the underground train stations on the City Circle in Sydney:

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(Pity about the highly reflective glass covering them...:()

[AdamW]

Those are new signs, Benjamin? I guess the graphic artists are on a retro kick. Nice ones!

[Benjamin2007]

Those are new signs, Benjamin? I guess the graphic artists are on a retro kick. Nice ones!

Hi Adam

New signs, selling current products of well known brands from iconic companies in a retro' style reminiscent of the early days of both the companies and of the time the underground railway was built.
For example, the dog is an ad' for an insecticide spray, brand-name: "Mortein".
Akubra, well everyone knows that's a brand-name for wide-brimmed felt hats. (Man from Snowy River style).
There were other signs which I didn't post, for "Peters" icecream and "Arnott's Biscuits".
However I don't think that Janzten is a current swimwear label in Australia.

There's also a sign for Russell Athletic (a famous American brand, I gather ;)).

[Benjamin2007]

Harry's Cafe de Wheels, established in 1945, is a famous Sydney waterfront landmark near Garden Island Dockyard, a naval base in Sydney:

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(Manual mode, 1/20sec, F3.5, ISO100, 15.9mm, Pattern metering, WB/Focus auto, Flash off, Sharpness hard)

Enjoy, :)

[toriaj]

Benjamin, that's a very professional-looking shot. Great work on the exposure and WB.

[AdamW]

I like the "Harry's"!

[Benjamin2007]

Benjamin, that's a very professional-looking shot. Great work on the exposure and WB.

Thank you, I was trying hard not to over-expose the fluorescent lights, it turned out ok. :)
I took three or four different shots with different variables and liked that one the best. :)


I like the "Harry's"!
Glad you like it. :)

regards,

[rx_morph]

This probably isn't the right place for this but I couldn't find a thread just for "signs". I may have overlooked it though and will gladly move it if necessary. :D

[TheWengler]

Rarely do I take end up with any pictures that qualify for this thread. Now that I have something I'll share it with you.

[AdamW]

Lukas--I like that one. Nice use of shallow DoF.

[FLiPMaRC]

:) I like this thread idea :cool:

Hope you don't mind me sharing some of mine. All taken with the Canon S3 IS.

From my Vegas trip last year.

http://www.pbase.com/marcjosef/image/82821351/large.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/marcjosef/image/82821363/large.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/marcjosef/image/82821676/large.jpg

This one's in Universal Studios, City Walk
http://www.pbase.com/marcjosef/image/83261046/large.jpg

[AdamW]

Nice ones, FLiPMaRC!

[Benjamin2007]

Rarely do I take end up with any pictures that qualify for this thread. Now that I have something I'll share it with you.

Ditto Adam's remarks!
A very artistic shot Lukas :cool:, did you use the 50mm/f1.4?

FLiPMaRC, I really liked "Paris" :)

cheers,

[FLiPMaRC]

Ditto Adam's remarks!
A very artistic shot Lukas :cool:, did you use the 50mm/f1.4?

FLiPMaRC, I really liked "Paris" :)

cheers,
Thanks AdamW

Thanks Benjamin, but I wish it would have been sharper :( It was shot at full zoom on the S3 IS (432mm), hand held and from inside the car through a windshield ... LOL!

[TheWengler]

Ditto Adam's remarks!
A very artistic shot Lukas :cool:, did you use the 50mm/f1.4?

Thanks Adam and Benjamin, it was indeed taken with the 50mm lens at f/2.8.

[AdamW]

It's been a while since I worked on this series, but today the wife and I spent the afternoon in North Beach:


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[kardinal]

Adam
I liked the thread too. Being in SFO, how did you miss these? :)
1. Pier39, SFO
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/2557250089_7e7fde74b8_o.jpg
2. Fisherman Wharf, SFO
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/759355580_5b1ede1af5_b.jpg
3. Alcatraz
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2558072504_4c981509c3_o.jpg

[SpecialK]

Beverly Hills.
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[tkbslc]

Shot with Samsung L100 and edited with Paint Shop Pro

[SpecialK]

At sunset.
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[AdamW]

Some more from around San Francisco:


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[AdamW]

Some more.



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[TheWengler]

Cool shots Adam. I love bowling. :D

It's not often I have something to contribute to this thread. This is part of a project I'm working on.
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[AdamW]

Thanks, Lukas. That's a working alley in Whittier (SoCal.)

I like those five of yours. I'm thinking a big poster with 26 shots....

[rawpaw18]

Nice Lukas, her project seems to include some seamstress work. :)

[TheWengler]

Thanks, Lukas. That's a working alley in Whittier (SoCal.)

I like those five of yours. I'm thinking a big poster with 26 shots....

I haven't really been collecting all the letters, but maybe I should start


Nice Lukas, her project seems to include some seamstress work. :)

Yeah, she likes to sew. So far I've gotten a camera strap and a filter case for my GND set out of it.