I love looking at old photos, it’s one of my favorite things to do. Nowadays, taking personal photos has seemed to just skyrocket over the last several years, with cell phones making it so easy to take them and social media making it so easy to share them. I love how doing that will give us so many mementos to pass on to our own children and grandchildren. A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book is written by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman, who run the excellent blog with the same title as the book. The book has almost one hundred ideas that I found to be excellent jumping off points for my own amateur skills.

Some of my favorite ideas from A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book include recreating old photos, using a fabric backdrop, photographing my daily routines (especially good for the grandchildren I think), seasonal details, and food that I make and eat. I think they are all ideal for helping me to keep a visual record of my life for my own memories and also pass on to others.

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book also have great tips for how to set up photos like using motion (wind, jumping), making use of shadows, interesting lighting and how to photograph silhouettes. There’s also a large section on making items from the photos you take, like invitations, magnets, and lots more. I think that they would make amazing gifts for loved ones!

About the Authors:
Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are sisters and the creative minds behind A Beautiful Mess (abeautifulmess.com), one of the world’s most popular DIY style blogs. Founded by Elsie in 2007, A Beautiful Mess covers craft, photography, recipes, decorating, style, and beauty. A Beautiful Mess has received press in Lucky, Bust, Readymade, and Southern Living magazines, and online at Design Sponge, Style Me Pretty, the Nest, and Apartment Therapy. Elsie and Emma are also the creators of a bestselling line of e-courses.