Aesthetic Book Pictures for Your Cozy Viewing Pleasure
We’re smack in the middle of the holiday season. Which is why today we’re doing something super chill and cozy. What’s that, you ask? We’re going to take a look at some of the prettiest, coziest, and most aesthetic book pictures on social media! But that’s not all. Today, I also wanted to give you a quick and easy guide to taking your own aesthetic book pictures as well. Because let’s be honest, we’ve all seen those kinds of photographs online, and most of us have an itch to take some of our own.
The good thing is, taking aesthetic book pictures is actually pretty easy, mainly because aesthetic pictures are extremely subjective — they just have to be pleasing to look at. That’s it. Some of them are more colorful, while others have more muted, wintry tones. Most of them try to arrange things very symmetrically, but others try to play with the lines made by their props to make more complicated compositions. Aesthetic book pictures can be full of props and tiny details, or they can be pretty sparse. See? Many things can be aesthetic. You just have to find the style that speaks to you.
One last thing before we dive in. I chose these photographs from Instagram and Pinterest (when linked to specific book blogs) because of two reasons. First, because those two platforms rely more heavily on images. Secondly, but most importantly, they allow us to know who the original creators are.
But without further ado, let’s look at aesthetic book pictures!
Aesthetic Book Pictures from Instagram
I absolutely love when people color-match their book covers to whatever props they use — which is a staple of Adriana’s Instagram @adrisathenaeum.
On the other hand, you don’t need many props to take a good aesthetic picture. Liz Alva from @kampvuurverhalen focuses on audiobooks so most of her pictures involve her phone and a candle or blanket!
A lot of aesthetic book pictures don’t need overly complicated compositions — just a book, a beverage and a white cozy background (often a bed). Most of Lina’s pictures at @linakius are just like this: cozy, soft, and simple.
There are so many fun ways to display your current reads, and pairing them with other bookish objects like highlighters, notebooks, or pens always gives this you this cozy bookish life feel. Raya from @booknightouts does a wonderful job at this!
Aesthetic Book Pictures from Pinterest/Book Blogs
Reviews tend to be more fun when a book blogger takes pictures of the book they’re reviewing. As is the case with Maddy from her MissMaddyChats blog! Plus, the Pinterest thumbnail always looks stunning.
Book stacks are always fun to look at, and a very aesthetic way to display your current reads or your TBR. Kate takes tons of these pictures to share her reading plans on her KATE LA VIE blog — which she then shares on Pinterest!
Lots of book pictures use other objects (and even other books) that fit a book’s specific theme. Here, for example, Bex from Out of the Bex is recommending nature books — one of which is Wicked Plants. A potted plant, an encyclopedia, and a magnifying lens add to the whole nature and learning vibes.
Lastly, good ol’ fashioned “a drink and a book” photographs are super cozy and aesthetic. They let you highlight a specific read, its beautiful cover — and make you want to read it while you drink said beverage. I love that Jaye always adds these pictures to her monthly wrap-ups in her Jaye Rockett blog!
How to Take Aesthetic Book Pictures
“Those were all very beautiful, aesthetic book pictures, Rey. But how do I take one of my own?” It’s actually super easy, hence this quick guide. Most of the time you just need a book and something to take clear pictures with. That’s it. You just need to get creative with the composition and add whichever props you have and that you think might fit the vibe.
However, there are some things that always seem to work. Having light colored backgrounds help the book covers stand out. This can be a blanket, a comforter, a specific flat lay/background, or even a piece of white cloth. The other thing that helps are props. These are bookish items that add to the whole bookworm vibe. They can be things you use while reading like pens, highlighters, sticky notes, or other office supplies. But candles, mugs with a warm beverage, clothing: all of those things work, especially if they are some type of merch related to the book you’re taking pictures of. Here are some Etsy recommendations of props:
If you want to incorporate book pages into your backdrop, here are some bundles of 100 pages from older books. $8
This literary mug references many books, making it perfect for almost any book picture! $14
Scented candles add to the cozy atmosphere of any picture, and making it bookish themed is a plus! $9
Taking Aesthetic Book Pictures: The Process
We talked about props, so now we’re moving on to the how of this quick guide. To take these kinds of aesthetic book pictures, I recommend you visualize it before setting everything up. You can even make a sketch if it helps you. That way, it takes less time to actually take a picture and you already know more or less what outcome you want. That’s when you decide your camera angle, and more or less where you want things to go. You can always tweak this until it feels right, but having an idea beforehand always helps. Believe me, I have taken pictures without planning and it always takes me much longer to get it right.
The next step is to take out your props and arrange them. In a common overhead shot, you put everything on a flat surface and take the picture from above. Here is where you get to play. You can move, add, or take away props. Or you can tweak your camera angle as much as you want. What matters in the end, is that you find your image pretty to look at. That’s when you know you got it. The very last step is to edit your photos as much or as little as you want. All of these pictures have some editing, be them simple filters or a more advanced play with light. Instagram makes this easy with its edit features and filters. This is what helps you complete the cozy vibe of your pictures, making them extra aesthetic.
For more tips, check out How to Bookstagram Like a Pro and How To Take Great Bookish Selfies.
Before you leave, why don’t you also check out some of our favorite Bookstagram accounts. Or if you’re interested in poetry, we have a handy guide at posting poetry content on Instagram!
