Justin Muir's profile

A Book of Beards (www.bookofbeards.com)

Photography
A Book of Beards
www.bookofbeards.com
All proceeds from the first pressing of this book will go to help a friend.All additional proceeds go to support theLeukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I worked on this book for over a year. It's my baby, and I love it. This book is self published and is not for profit. This book started, well, not as a book. When I completed the first ten beard portraits in April of 2011, I did not know what to do with them, but I knew they deserved more than a pithy blog or Flickr post. It was then that the idea of turning beard portraits into a book was born. Over 100 beard portraits later (unfortunately only 86 made the book) I am here trying to help. Help a friend and help a cause.

When I moved to West Chester, PA, I noticed that the beard culture was a bit bolder than other places I had been; it was a little uncharacteristic of an otherwise neat and tidy town. All the while, I was sharpening my portrait photography skills, and decided to focus my lens on all of these beards. From the first portrait, I knew the black and white format would fit the mood of the men who sported these gnarly beards.
I started photographing friends, which then grew into approaching strangers on the street. I was obsessed with beards, always on the lookout, wherever I went. So I built a tiny portable studio that was easy to travel with. Now, I could take portraits anywhere—houses, bars, my living room, backyards, and eventually I found myself at beard competitions. You can see my portable studio in some of the photos.

A lot of work went into this book, and I am really proud of it. But I plan to continue taking beard portraits. There is something about the men behind these beards that is so interesting, so intriguing. Some of their stories are featured in this book. Thank you for supporting this book, my friend, and our cause.


to purchase book please visit
www.bookofbeards.com
A Book of Beards (www.bookofbeards.com)
Published:

A Book of Beards (www.bookofbeards.com)

86 Bearded men, 125 pages, 18 written contributions All proceeds from the first pressing of this book will go to help a friend.All additional pro Read More

Published:

Creative Fields