Interestingly, the idea behind alphabet photography started with an illustrated children’s book. In 1999, Stephen T. Johnson produced a wordless book that featured still life images of everyday objects that looked like letters of the alphabet. The School Library Journal review of this Caldecott honor book said: “While parents or teachers may assume from the title that this is a traditional alphabet book, they should be encouraged to view it as a book of art. It is sure to inspire older children to venture out on their own walks to discover the alphabet in familiar objects from their own homelands. “
A Canadian woman was inspired to do just that. “Through my travels I was able to photograph hundreds of objects, found completely in their natural environment that resembled the letters of the alphabet. A bridge became the letter ‘T”, an arm on a park bench into a “G” and the train tracks in “E”. However, Jennifer Blakeley didn’t just take pictures of the alphabet; made alphabet photography a household name and the latest home decor craze in Hollywood.
Celebrities like Ryan Seacrest and Oprah have praised the unique creativity of using photographed letters to decorate their space. Other entrepreneurs soon followed in Ms. Blakeley’s footsteps and you can now find alphabetical photographs of not only natural outdoor objects, but also individual letters on famous signs or famous architectural locations around the world.
What Makes Alphabet Photography So Popular? Part of the appeal of alphabetic photos is the sheer appeal of personalization. Everyone likes to see your name – the bigger and flashier the better. Having creative and unique works of art on your wall that also spell out your name attracts many people’s egos. The variability of this exceptional art choice is another draw. Almost each and every occasion that occurs to you is an appropriate moment for the art of letters. It is not only necessary to use people’s names, for example an office building could be decorated with words like “teamwork” or “success” or “performance”. What about a dentist’s office with “teeth” or “smile” in your waiting room? A wedding gift with “love” or the couple’s last name would make a fun gift. Or a graduation gift that spelled “dream” or “achieve.” As you can clearly see, the sky is the limit when it comes to combining words and art. As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. So how much are they worth together?
