Gentle Pure Space

Back by popular demand I am bringing back “Typography Photography”, where I showcase some of the best photography that includes nice typography as its subject. I’m just a curator here, and all credit is due to the actual photographers and designers of the typography they photographed. Be sure to click on the images to go to their respective homes on Flickr if you wish to let the photographer know your appreciation.

Previously: {Vol. 4}, {Vol. 3}, {Vol. 2} and {Vol. 1}

And now, the photos…

In this photo of Brighton Certified Cold Fur Storage the white type pops against the dark red bricks, and I love the way a script font lies in between the condensed sans serifs. The script font is a nice one and I like the truncated top of the lower-case f.

This Co. (from the words Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling Co.) is a nice crop because it is still highly recognizable as part of Coca-Cola’s name. The colors in the photo are muted and that gives the lettering a syrupy color that reminds me even more of coke. The little curl of the metal arm that pokes into the sky is similar to the curls in the type, and is a nice way to tie the bottom half and the top half together.

This photo of a word cropped to read as AUTO almost looks like a landscape painting. There are many beautiful layers in the background with the trees, hills, fog, white capped mountain, and intense blue sky. In front of all of it is a bright red and bold word with a natural drop shadow that may be obscuring some natural beauty, but at the same time interacting with nature in a beautiful way.

The lettering on the wall for Ziegfeld Theatre is another one of white text on bricks, but this time the brick is a beige color. You might think this would result in minimal contrast, but in this case the dark sides of the deep extrusion give the letters plenty of contrast while the white on beige scheme evokes classiness. I love the little bird’s nest that seems to be in the bottom of the lowercase f.

The sign for Beauty World is apparently old and falling apart, and you can tell that even in its prime it wasn’t exactly the most beautiful lettering (very strange “A” and “Y”). The inclusion of the old and crusty looking lot really reinforces the sense of irony. However, the double irony in this is that capturing this scene in a nice photo has now brought beauty to it in my opinion.

This photo of a thrift shop’s sign is just really nice to look at. I love the rusty white letters against the vertically striped, faded teal wall. The type is very cute and quirky itself, and I like how the vertically extended letter forms interact with the vertical stripes of the background. I especially love how the counters on the lowercase “f” disappear, the bar on the “t” stretches out over the “h”, and the tail on the “p” goes straight through it.

This 202 address on a house is a stark contrast with the thrift store lettering above. The numbers are very geometric and balanced, the white and the black are both very clean, and the horizontal lines create a grid for the type to sit on. Even the structure of the photo is minimal and clean, whereas the thrift store photo had an odd shadow in the corner, and upper and lower layers peeking in around the main wall. Both do a great job of matching the style of the lettering with the composition of the photo.

The sign for Jellico Motel has those nice generic black letters on white panels and the blue rectangle with the word “restaurant” in white neon lights. It reminds me of countless forgettable motels along the highways in America. The inclusion of the scenery shows how a generic motel sign gets its individuality through it’s surroundings. I love how the foggy background reminds of those early mornings when you are checking out of the motel before most people are even awake because you have an adventure to continue.

Here’s another photo with a sense of irony, the broken down neon letters from Las Vegas that spell out the word “GLAM“. There is nothing glamorous about the discarded and beat-up letters, but perhaps it is an unintentional comment on the effect living the Vegas lifestyle eventually has on people.

I just love this photo of the word “Meetings” for it’s subtle imperfections. The washed out color, the texture on the wall and letters, the erratic paneling on the wall, and the horrible kerning all provide an interesting contrast with the cleanliness and structure usually associated with Helvetica. As a bonus, I didn’t notice until recently that this photo was taken by Antonio of AisleOne. He’s been talking about getting an SLR soon, and I can’t wait to see what he does with that!