A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book 95 Inspiring Ideas for
Photographing Your Friends, Your World, and Yourself
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an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group / New York
Copyright © 2013 by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman
Photographs copyright © 2013 by Elsie Larson and Emma
Chapman except where otherwise noted
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Amphoto Books, an imprint of
the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.,
New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.amphotobooks.com
AMPHOTO BOOKS and the Amphoto Books logo are trademarks
of Random House, Inc.
Some of the photos included herein were previously published on
www.abeautifulmess.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Larson, Elsie.
A beautiful mess photo idea book / by Elsie Larson and Emma
Chapman.—First edition.
pages cm
1. Portrait photography. 2. Self-portraits. I. Chapman, Emma. II.
Title.
TR575.L35 2013
771′.44—dc23
2012023524
eBook ISBN: 978-0-7704-3404-5
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-7704-3403-8
Design by Jenny Kraemer
v3.1
This book is dedicated to our grandparents,
Norman and Corina Patterson.
Thank you for capturing your life together in photos.
It’s beautiful.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to thank the following people for their generous support
in producing this book: our creative and supportive family, Jeremy
Larson, Kinsey Mhire, Sarah Rhodes, Janae Hardy, Katie Shelton,
Lindsey Edgecombe, Julie Mazur, and all of the wonderful and
patient folks at Amphoto Books and the Crown Publishing Group.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Capture Your Favorite People
Photograph Faces
Take Storytelling Portraits
Capture Genuine Emotion
Get Adorable Couple Photos
Take Cute Photos with Your Friends
Get a Great Family Photo
Photograph Your Pet
Capture Unique Personal Details
Get the Best Cell Phone (or Point-and-Shoot Camera) Photos
Add Backdrops and Props
Find Great Backgrounds for Outdoor Portraits
Make a Paper Backdrop
Make a Chalkboard Backdrop
Make a Fabric Backdrop
Make a Fabric Strip Backdrop
Find Props at Home
Make Your Own Props
Ten Ideas for Creative Lifestyle Props
Use Beautiful Lighting
Know How to Use Overcast Light vs. Direct Sun
Find Flattering Window Light
Take Portraits Using Christmas Lights
Take a Shadow Portrait
Take a Silhouette Portrait
Make the Most of Sun Flare and Backlighting
Photograph in Low Light
Make and Use Reflectors
Get Creative
Take Perfect Profile Pictures
Photograph Motion (Part 1): Moving Objects
Photograph Motion (Part 2): Wind
Photograph Motion (Part 3): Jumping
Take Wide Photos
Take Artistically Blurry Photos
Take Macro Photos
Create Atmosphere
Understand Depth of Field
Make Homemade Filters
Add Hand Coloring
Get Inspired
Take Amazing Photos of Your Home
Photograph a Collection
Capture Your Daily Routines
Capture Seasonal Details
Capture Your Life at School or Work
Photograph Your Daily Outfits
Capture Your Hobbies and Interests
Achieve a Goal through Photos
Photograph Food
Capture the Places You Go
Take Photos on the Go
Photograph Your Current Obsession
Photograph Music
Capture Yourself
Photograph Your Reflection
Hold the Camera at Arm’s Length
Use a Self-Timer or Camera Remote
Our Favorite Makeup and Styling Tips
Our Favorite Wardrobe Tips
Our Favorite Hairstyling Tips
Take the Thirty-Day Self-Portrait Challenge
Challenge Yourself
Create a Diptych
Create a Triptych or Polyptych
Take a Photo from Above
Create an Upside-Down Photo
Wear a Costume
Re-create an Old Photo
Have Fun with Color
Choose an Inspiration Icon
Take the Black-and-White Photo Challenge
Have Fun with Outtakes
Focus on Something Unexpected
Have Fun with Paint
Take Photos in Public Places
Show Off Your Photos
Invites for Every Occasion
Storybook Locket
Photo Transfer Lampshade
Memory Magnets
Photo Party Décor
DIY Business Cards
Grid Photo Wall Display
Photo Coaster Set
Make Your Own Silhouette
Custom Smartphone Case
Cupcake Toppers
Paper Plane Photo Wreath
Personalized Gift Tags
Personalized Holiday Ornaments
Classic Photo Gift Wrap
Canvas Photo Transfers
Family Portrait Pillows
Instagram Votive Candles
Organization Helpers
Homemade Guest Soaps
Vintage Wallpaper Scrapbook
Geometric Mobile
Memory Journal
Photo Fabric Drawstring Skirt
Refinished Photo Chair
DIY Travel Suitcase
Five Ways to Organize Your Photos for Future Projects
Our Gear: An Inside Look
Index
Introduction
This is the part of the book where we explain that we are
total pro photographers and you will be too if you read this
book. The only problem is . . . well . . . we’re not pro
photographers. We’re bloggers. For the past five years,
we’ve been writing a blog called A Beautiful Mess, where
we share our daily lives along with DIY projects, recipes,
and all things homemade. We take all of the photos for our
blog. This routine started out of necessity and has since
become one of the aspects of blogging that we are most
passionate about. Now you’ll rarely see us without a
camera. We may not be professional photographers, but
we are in love with photographing everyday life, and that’s
what this book is about.
Our greatest photography influence was our grandpa, Norman
(we called him Papa). We always think of our grandpa as a
renaissance man. He moved to South America as a young man,
where he met and fell in love with our grandmother. They started a
family there and eventually moved to southern Missouri to start a
cattle farm. Photography was a hobby of his throughout his adult
life, and he left behind a beautiful collection of photos. He took
photos of their home in South America. He took photos of their
vacations together. He took lots of photos of our (very stylish)
grandmother. He took photos of his children playing. Thanks to
these photos, we have a very full picture of our grandparents’ life
together and our mother’s childhood. We are so grateful for the
way these images show us lives full of beautiful and interesting
moments rather than only a few posed portraits.
Our grandfather’s photography inspires us to document our lives.
Photo technology and trends have changed a lot since our
grandfather’s time, but his habit of taking time to document his life
is a gift that has remained with us to this day. It is often with our
children and grandchildren in mind that we keep taking photos
and striving to learn new and better techniques. We love the idea
that they will be able to see our full lives, brimming with moments,
details, and emotion. Seen this way, no photo is a waste; no event
is too small or unimportant to document.
You’ve probably figured out by now that this book is different
from other photography books. We’re not going to talk about
camera settings or technical workflow. We still have tutorials,
examples, challenges, and lots of ideas; it’s still an informative
book. But think of this as an idea book, to take you from whatever
photography level you are at to the next one. We’re going to
challenge you to do things outside your comfort zone. There may
be moments when we push you to take a photo you may consider
a little bit silly. But we urge you to just go with it; enjoy the
challenge! You may be surprised by how much you can push
yourself to the next level. Our hope is that in the process, we’ll
inspire you to capture your real life, and that you will have tons and
tons of beautiful photos that you wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
So what’s the best way to use this book? We suggest reading
through the entire book first. Maybe use Post-its or bookmarks to
keep track of the sections that inspire or excite you the most. Try
all the challenges; don’t be shy! Don’t be too worried about
making mistakes or “doing it right.” Find what works for you. Try to
top your personal best photo. Push yourself to try new methods
for displaying and organizing photos in your home or to gift to
family members. Get into it! We’re excited for you.
xo Elsie and Emma
P.S. We apologize for all of the exclamation marks in this book.
We’re just excited!!!
Elsie has been a photo enthusiast her whole life. Her very first
photo was of her Barbie collection.
