Have you ever wanted to see your name in Paris? Or show off an allegiance to your team with more than a flag or poster? Have you unsuccessfully searched the ends of the Internet for that perfectly personalized graduation or wedding gift?

Delaware native and resident Justin Schaefer is an unusual artist with an unusual canvas. He travels the world looking for letters from the English alphabet in architecture, in landscape design, in places we pass every single day without second thought. He’s obsessed with the hunt (it’s ruined relationships, even) but he’s continued searching and now this accidental hobby-turned-career is successful beyond his wildest dreams.

Schaefer’s PhotoText (www.PhotoTextCatalog.com) business evolved quite randomly. As a teenager, he took a beginner’s photography class at Rutherford B. Hayes High School and was given an assignment to photograph three letters in architecture. He later used that same idea to create Christmas gifts for everyone in his family, with a favorable response.

“I made everyone’s names out of photographs and everyone loved it. It was harder than I thought it would be, but my family pushed me to keep doing it,” Schaefer says. “That’s when it sort of turned into a hobby.”

His parents encouraged him to attend a local arts festival, where he won the People’s Choice Award and runner-up to the Judge’s Award. He participated in more art shows, but never once thought about continuing the effort long-term – until he went to college. While studying industrial design at The Ohio State University, other students caught sight of his pastime and begged him for pieces.

“I had people track me down in the dorm to place an order. And when I moved into an obscure apartment off-campus, I still had people finding me, knocking on my door Saturday mornings asking, ‘Are you the letter guy?’ I couldn’t get away from it, but now I realize that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Schaefer says.

He began honing his skills, packing his camera when he visited family in Belgium his freshman year, and when he studied in Brazil his senior year. The trips made him realize that experiencing diversity in architecture was the way to do this right. But it wasn’t until graduation that he made the decision to catapult his hobby into a career.

“The job market was really bad and all of my friends were sending out their resumes and getting rejected. They all told me how lucky I was to have (PhotoText), but I never considered doing it full time until then,” Schaefer says. “I decided to give it 100 percent for three years, and if it didn’t work out, then I’d try the job market.”

Almost three years to the day of his decision, Schaefer opened up his studio at 15 ½ Winter St., in Delaware. He has more than 8,500 letters on his interactive Web site, which allows you to choose your own images based on different locations or themes. For example, if you want to spell your name using a letter “E” from London, using a specific theme (church architecture, fencing, etc.), then so be it. Included in Schaefer’s extensive repertoire are basic signs for the home, like “Welcome,” as well as Buckeye (and other Big Ten and college) photos – his biggest sellers.

“I’ve been to at least 20 campuses, including the entire Big Ten. Campuses are easier to shoot because they have such diverse buildings everywhere,” Schaefer says. He’s also visited at least 40 states and more than nine countries, including those throughout Europe, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. His immediate travel goals are Moscow and Japan.

Schaefer has simple rules while letter hunting: It can’t be man-made, (there are some exceptions; OSU’s block O is far too recognizable to not have available as an “O” option); and he won’t manipulate the environment to create a letter. He also will not leave a location until the entire alphabet has been photographed; he has too many location requests to ignore any letter.

“People love having pictures made from their hometown or their heritage country because that’s their story. It pulls their heartstrings a little with how personal they can get with this,” Schaefer says.

He admits the hardest letters to find are R, Q, M, N, W, while the easiest are E, T and O. His favorite to seek and shoot – perhaps not surprisingly – is the letter J.

“There is this ‘J’ in SoHo in New York City and it’s perfect. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s all steel and it’s very industrial and it’s one of my favorites,” Schaefer says. “I’m definitely a little obsessed with this, and I won’t go anywhere without my camera. But this has taken me further than I ever dreamed it would and I’ve loved every part of it.”

Schaefer recently picked up gallery representation at the Hayley Gallery, 45 Second St., in New Albany, and his pieces can be purchased at the location or on its Web site at www.hayleygallery.com. Gallery owner Hayley Savage says it was an obvious choice to give his pieces ample wall space.

“He sees letters where no one else does, and yet they’ll pass it every day of their life. His eye, his knack for doing this, is absolutely unique,” Savage says. “He has an amazing gift.”

Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.