life.love.beauty

by Keegan Allen

Ingram and Publishers Weekly bestseller!

"This book takes you on a photographic voyage through my life so far." -Keegan Allen

Keegan Allen is currently known to fans of the ABC Family hit television series, Pretty Little Liars. He has also appeared in numerous independent films and made his New York Stage debut in the acclaimed MCC production of Small Engine Repair.
Keegan was given his first camera at age nine, and began a lifelong study and pursuit of photography. life.love.beauty is a selection of photographs taken since his childhood. It's a photo journey through the life of an intensely creative soul whose expression finds various in acting, in poems and stories, lyrics and music, but above all in photography. This book's content resonates in the commonality we all share on our own journeys while unveiling an inside look into a world that very few experience.
Organized into three broad groups-life, love, and beauty-the book ranges over the public and private side of Keegan Allen and his world. A child of Hollywood, whose father was also an actor and his mother a painter, Keegan roams freely through that realm, photographing his fellow actors on set, behind the scenes; and recording the amazed, gleeful, sometimes weeping fans that flock to his television and career related events.
Allen also has an eye for the anonymous and the the woman gazing dreamily from the balcony of a run-down hotel; the rifle-toting dog walker who seems to have emerged from the 19th century; the performers and denizens of Venice Beach and also the streets of New York, some of them chasing the dream of fame, others having long-since abandoned it; the little boy amid in the crowd in an enormous airport; portraits of lovers kissing on subways, in parks, and on the streets. Traveling from California to New York to Paris and back, as well as through the American west, he finds beauty in both urban and rural from large-scale landscapes to glimpses of light transforming what it touches.
Keegan's poems, stories, captions and musings, song lyrics, and journal pages complement the photographs on this journey. He provides an account of growing up just off the Sunset Strip, coming into his own as an actor/artist, dealing with public recognition while maintaining a very private life, falling in and out of love, and acknowledging the influence of his family, friends, fans, and loved ones.
life.love.beauty is an unusually intimate and revealing a delight for anyone who values photography, and a gift for the many fans who already follow Keegan's career.
Keegan's real passion comes through in both his photographs and candid story telling in this unique photo-journal.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Memoir, Art, Coffee Table Books, Biography, Poetry

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2015

Reviews

[Katy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I bought this, I did it because I wanted to meet "Toby from PLL" because Toby was my favorite character from the beginning and Toby and Spencer are my OTP and all that fangirling Jazz.
I had all day before it was time to meet him so I thought I might as well read it - as an avid reader of young adult novels I didn't really understand what a photobook was and I didn't really take it that seriously. Boy Keegan sure showed me. This wasn't just a book of photos, Keegan took all of these pictures himself, some of them since childhood. He shared stories and thoughts and poems. He made me cry. I related to him, and I keep thinking how lost teenage girls can be stronger because of his words his thoughts his photos. This book is amazing and beautiful.

[Reviewsbypaige · Rating 5 out of 5]

As photography books go, Allen has done a great job at creating a stunning work of art. By creating this book, Allen allows to reader to share his memories as he grows in life and in his career. We learn about his childhood, his parents, pets, etc. It is because of this that the reader is able to feel close with Allen. The reader is given the privilege to not only take a look at Allen’s personal photos, but we are also given an inside look at his childhood journal entries. There is such a strong sense of purity and wonder behind each photo – which leaves the reader feeling a strong sense of closeness and wanderlust. The journal entries are written with such detail, it is almost as if you are sitting next to Allen as he experiences each adventure. The descriptions of each photo bring the reader closer to not only the author, but also to each person he has photographed. This book has a beauty, which so many wish they could capture with a single photograph, which Allen has done flawlessly. Allen speaks passionately about his life as an artist, a friend, a son, an actor, and while doing so, brings joy to his fans. All in all, this book is an amazing piece of work, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to experience its magic. I am looking forward to see what will come next in Keegan Allens career.
Keegan Allen reminds us, “Don’t count the seeds in strawberries”

[bashayer]

this made me revisit my pretty little liars middle school phase. also another reason why toby will always be my fav✋🏼

[danique · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful book. I'm so proud of Keegan. He's such a talented photographer, actor, writer, songwriter etc. and I think that he really showed that with this book. Keegan has led/is leading such an interesting life and it was amazing to get a little peek in it. The photos he took all look so great. He really is great at taking photos. His stories and thoughts were a joy to read as well. Some of his thoughts, poems and lyrics had so much emotion. I loved this book. I love Keegan.

[Katie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap I loved this book. The only really reason I bought this is because Keegan Allen is one of my favorite actors from Pretty Little Liars. But once I started reading it you saw a whole new side of Keegan. Every element of the book was perfect in my opinion. This book has inspired me and many ways and I highly
suggest reading it especially if your a fan of Keegan and Pretty Little Liars.

[Dalia Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was rely good because it taught me the important of life, and how people will always judge just be the first impression.I aslo loved this book because it had many beautiful inspiering photos.I also learned that is in my opinion that "without love we are just floating in space without nothing."

[Samantha Ivy (novelsbysamantha) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing! I highly recommend that all of you read the physical copy rather than the digital copy so you can see Keegan's amazing work. Thank you, Keegan, for sharing your life, love and beauty with us!

[Lilifane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weil ich nicht wusste, was ich als nächstes lesen will, habe ich mich für einen Fotoband entschieden, um meine Gedanken schweifen zu lassen und meinen Kopf frei zu bekommen. Das hat das Buch auf jeden Fall erreicht.

Ich mochte die Serie PLL sehr gerne und Keegan Allens Charakter war einer meiner Lieblinge in der Serie. Aber ich fing sehr früh an, seine Fotografie zu verfolgen und während das Interesse an der Serie schwand, blieb mein Interesse an der Fotografie bestehen.

Als Fotoband mag ich das Buch auch sehr gerne. Ich liebe so gut wie alle Bilder, sie sind toll zusammengestellt, es ist angenehm, in dem Buch zu blättern. Was mich am meisten stört sind die Gedichte und Lyrics und einige Bildbeschreibungen (besonders am Anfang). Sie sind für meinen Geschmak zu abstrakt, ungenau, gezwungen künstlerisch. Besonders am Anfang erinnern mich einige Beschreibungen an meinen Kunstunterricht, wenn ich versucht habe einem mittelmäßigen Bild mehr Bedeutung beizumessen, indem ich mir philosophische Interpretationen aus den Fingern saugte.

Der Mittelteil gefällt mir schon besser. Behind the Scenes Fotos von PLL und anderen Projekten (Film und Theater), Porträts, Natur und Street Photography und ein ganzer Abschnitt mit Fotos von Fans, die er bei Treffen oder auf Conventions gemacht hat. Ich war so beeindruckt, wie er die Gefühle von Fans eingefangen hat. Das hat dem Buch definitiv etwas Besonderes hinzugefügt, weil es eine Perspektive ist, die man selten zu sehen bekommt. Einige der Insider-Geschichten und Erklärungen haben mir sehr gefallen und ich finde es schade, dass es nicht mehr davon im Buch gibt.

Ich habe konstant zwischen 3 und 4 Sternen geschwankt. Leider endet das Buch mit einem Abschnitt von eher langweiligen Porträts und Selbstporträts, so dass es im Endeffekt doch 3 Sterne wurden. (Die Fotografie bekommt an sich übrigens 5 Sterne von mir, weil ich sie wirklich spannend, interessant und inspirierend finde)

[Patrick R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring to see so many images throughout someone’s life - writings too. It’s an intimate look into his life and a glimpse of the “behind the scenes” life of an actor.

[Jen Sombrotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, when I first heard of this book being released, I wasn't fully interested in getting it. But as time went on, I found myself more and more curious to see the photographs that Keegan Allen shoots. I, myself have always had a fascination with photography/video/editing. In fact, I was very much like Keegan as a younger kid. When I got my first video camera, I carried it around with me everywhere I went. It had a snapshot feature built into it, (all you had to do was insert the memory chip) and I would walk around everywhere I went taking pictures and video of anyone and anything that caught my eye. What I loved about this book though and what gave it such a high rating for me is actually Keegan's personality. His photography is really nice and there were some beautiful shots that I could see hanging on walls as art pieces, but the poems/lyrics, even just his captions that went along with some of the photos really made me like him as a person, even though I've never met him. I feel like he is the type of person that you want to spend time with and do adventurous things with, things that make your soul come alive. I love being around people like that. It seems, (again, I don't know him personally), but it seems that he is the type of person you could have really great conversations with and someone who is willing to go the distance to enjoy the time you spend. Someone who sees life a bit differently than the average person. Someone who finds beauty in small and grand things and loves to experience new adventures while forever capturing those moments. I've always loved photography and film, because it's unapologetic. Whatever was happening in that moment at that time has been captured and though people and places change as time goes on, you still have that moment to look back on. The same goes for songwriting, you freeze a moment of your life when you write a song. It's hard for me to convey through writing this review exactly what I'm trying to say, but I think anyone with a creative side would kind of understand what I'm getting at. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys photography, poetry, adventures, or is a fan of Pretty Little Liars and wants to learn more about Keegan as a person.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with Keegan Allen the way you fall asleep. Slowly...and then all at once.

I found Keegan like hundreds of others fans-through Pretty Little Liars. I read the first five of Sara Shepard 's books. I really loved them. They had great cliffhangers and lovable characters. I then began to watch the show and absolutely loved it. There were two characters that I fell in love with instantly. Spencer and Toby. My love of Toby Cavanaugh and Keegan Allen is an interesting journey. Keegan is talented, genuine and real . I even had the honor of meeting him at a meet and greet near my house. He signed my book, a headshot, and my cast! What a cool guy!

Now, I know I should be reviewing the book here, but I had to gush over my celebrity crush a little bit. Or a lot. Sorry about that. Life. Love. Beauty. is a phenomenal photobook that enraptures Keegan Allen's life. We get to see pictures of him as child, funny shots of friends, and intimate film photos. I really enjoyed how the book was divided up into three different parts. One for Life, one for Love, and one for Beauty. The images that Keegan put in each of them really encompassed each word. The brief captions and ramblings of life were incredibly deep and private. Keegan is incredibly brave for sharing some of these moments he has captured through his life. I can relate to his poetry on such an emotional level.
His photographs are clear and beautiful, and they tell a great story. I have never read a photo book before, but this book introduced me into the world of photography books. I cant wait to read another one. I've read a couple reviews about people not enjoying his poetry and essays, but I think they really brought his work together.

This is the type of book that you can re read every day, or just flip through when you're bored. This would make a great gift for any fan of photography. Keegan is a role model for me and I really enjoyed this look into his life.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siempre he sido una fan de Keegan, lo apoyaria en todo! Si el quisiera Rapear estoy segura que lo escucharia y lo amaria (bueno, quizas no lo amaria pero lo apoyaria), soy una ciega cuando se trata de este hombre y todo lo que hace.

Cuando supe que sacaría un libro no pude contener el entusiasmo, digo... Yo amo leer, es mi pasatiempo favorito, es mi vida! pero cuando supe que era un diario de fotografia, al principio no lo entendi y para ser sincera no sabia que esperar ¿Eran solo fotografias? ¿Tenia algun texto? ¿Desde cuando le gustaba la fotografia? Esta muy confundida, pero eso sí nunca lo deje de apoyar♥

Pero cuando por fin tuve la oportunidad de leerlo fue una de las experiencias más magicas de toda la vida. Desde la primera pagina supe que ese libro seria especial para mi (y no solo porque lo escribiera Keegan), me hizo apreciar a mi familia, a mis amigos, todo lo que tengo a mi alrederon, a el y sobre todo a mí♥ No se como llego a pasar eso pero cuando lo termine me senti viva, con sueños más grandes que yo pero lo más importante era que senti que podria cumplir esos sueños, que todo era posible.

Otra cosa que no puedo dejar de mencionar es lo mucho que senti el amor y aprecio que nos tiene, ME SENTI ESPECIAL, unica, me senti como si fuera su amiga, como si lo conociera desde hace tiempo♥
No se que esperan las personas que no han leído y experimentado todo lo que este libro ofrece, porque es toda una experiencia que por lo menos yo no creo que vaya a encontrar en otro libro.

[kylajaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike Drew Barrymore's photograph book, Find it in Everything, this photographic exploration of Keegan's is not a vanity project. Of course at first I wanted this for the pictures of the Pretty Little Liars actors sprinkled throughout. But as I began to read further, I was drawn in by Keegan's existential musings and jarringly beautiful and unique photographs. There is quite a bit of his song lyrics and poetry in here too, though I wish he would have established which is which. (I'm guessing the rhyming bits are lyrics?). These words are decent. But Keegan is a photographer first and an actor second, and it shows here what his true calling is. I feel like when most celebrities put out photo books, it's just to say, "Oh look, I can snap a photo." Or in the case of Kim Kardashian, a selfie. But Keegan truly knows his way around cameras and types of film I've never even heard of. This is an effort years in the making, and therefore it feels truly genuine. I never realized how deep and solitary Keegan is. A lot of himself is revealed through these photos. But he also reveals some of his castmates and even different celebrities here as well (Johnny Depp and Emmy Rossum among them). This book is also Keegan's love letter to California. Of course he has pictures here from NYC and Paris, too, but the bulk of the photos are from California, as if he spends every day trying to find new ways to capture its beauty (and he probably does). Bravo, Keegan. Well done.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike a lot of people who may've read this book, I am not a diehard PLL fan, but am familiar enough with the show to know the character names. Imagine my surprise when I picked this up off the shelf, and after paging through and reading several poems and appreciating the photographs, I start seeing a lot of those characters in the book.

I continue browsing randomly and enjoying the feel and content of the book, not so much for the shots of familiar faces, but for its beautiful arrangement. A perfect combination of how I like to journal, I found the book swelled with a harmonious blend of photographs, text, and poetry. The book jacket wrapped around the lightly glossed pages made it impossible for me to return to the bookshelf.

So who was this Keegan Allen man behind the camera I related to so much on those pages? "Oh - it's Toby," I laughed! I know he has a lot of fans for his acting, but for me, this book is his most impressive talent. His soul shines through on every page and image, and as his most authentic self - something I never would've been able to take away from PLL.

[May-369 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically everything. I held this book this morning and I couldn't let it down until I have finished it. As a person who've been taking pictures for five years, I think this book is remarkably amazing. It took me to journeys and moments with such beautiful pictures, and that's basically what photography is about. A picture can bring back time, and make you relive it. Also, the writing was wow. I felt a need to write those words on my walls. I really really loved this book. Thank you Keegan for sharing that book with us.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My plan for this book was to scan through it at Barnes & Noble, but I ended up purchasing it. I seriously didn't expect to get anything out of this except a behind the scenes look at PLL. But Keegan was able to make me actually laugh and cry from his photographs and small passages. I am truly inspired by his work and respect him so much more as an artist now.

[Jasmijn Zielman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh god this book was pretty expensive but hey since im a pretty big pll fan, i hoped to love it... didn't love it. The beginning was good, kind of short life story, then there came a thon of pll related pictures and story's so i loved it. But the rest? stop, just don't, it was really boring and actually never finished it.

[Susan van der Staaij · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek is zo mooi! Bijna alle foto's zijn gemaakt bij Keegan zelf! Tot nu toe erg groot fan van zijn boek!

[David Jin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretentious at points, and genuine at others. Allen's first photography book served more as an insider's look within Hollywood than it did as a photographic journey or inspiration outlet. There's nothing wrong with that, but his preludes promised introspection at his compositions, his film settings. Instead a huge majority of his photos are accompanied by abstract wordings and poems that do give you a sense of theme, but do not deliver in any way on his work flow. The photography itself is capable; while art is subjective I found there to be shots I greatly enjoyed. However almost none of the shots seemed deliberate, as if Allen is content on having his camera on him while he goes through his life as an actor, rather than planning or seeking images that he has always wanted to make. That is something huge that I note all talented photographers who are NOT celebrities learn how to do at some point.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I'm a Keegan Allen fan, so I went into this book expecting to enjoy it, but I was completely blown away. First off, I was kinda just expecting this to be a book of Allen's photographs with a couple of lengthy captions, but that's not really what it is. Really, it's all of Allen's creativity channeled into one book. This book is full of photos, poetry, and musings from Allen's mind and the thing that's most beautiful about it is how he puts his soul on display. While the photographs and thoughts in this book were absolutely beautiful, my favourite thing was the poetry. I really enjoyed the poems especially "Everyone Lies to Everyone", "One More Night", "Brother", and "One Day". Beautiful piece of art, highly recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keegan Allen is quite the renaissance man.
First I appreciated him as an actor.
Reading this book, I could see that art is his life. He’s had a camera on him since he was a little boy. This book takes you through years of photographs and he tells the story behind each.

If you’re a PLL fan like myself, you will definitely appreciate the photographs of his cast mates.

Artsy and fun. Thoughtful yet lighthearted.

This book makes me feel that Keegan would be a really interesting person to talk to. If you look at the pictures in this book, it shows you what he sees in the world. And I think he sees a lot of beauty.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love photography, this book is perfect for you. The pictures are stunning no matter how simple or complex they are. Each picture has a story behind it and is beautifully written. The book tells a story of his life, how he has developed his skills since childhood, and how his interests and world has changed. You really get to see into Keegan's life through his words and his photography. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves photography, is a fan of Keegan or just want to try something new.

[Lenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved his energy, his outlook on life, his love for his friends and co-workers. But his poetry didn't do it for me. I'm sure it's an age thing. On the other hand I think he is a terrific artist with a camera. His photographs telling his life story are beautiful and engaging. 5 stars for the photography, 2 for the poetry. I absolutely wish him the best in life and in his career. He's got a great attitude.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting a glimpse behind the camera with my favorite boy next door as the storyteller.

I love photography and I love Keegan Allen. It was a nice way to get to know the man behind the lens that I spent years watching in front of a camera.

It was a good introduction into why he loves photography and the how he learned his art.

[Marissa Eckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one as well as his other one. I loved that he had more description about things and more on his cast of Pretty Little Liars. And some of him as a child. He really is talented as a photographer. I hope he comes out with more books of his work the this and the Hollywood one i would love seeing more.

[Catrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creative and beautiful look into the authors journey as a photographer. It’s filled with bits and pieces of his own poetry and thoughts. It’s wonderful. It was a great coffee and leisure read. I enjoy him as an actor and artist.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I watched Pretty Little Liars a few years back I fell in love with Keegan Allen’s character, Toby. I admire Keegan and his photography so reading this was amazing. I would definitely recommend to people who love PLL and Keegan himself. Hint: you might see some of the PLL cast🙈😉

[Kailyn]

This just wasn’t for me. I picked this up at a dollar tree a few months ago and was drawn to the photos inside. The pictures were beautiful but I just found that I didn’t really care about the rest of its content ...

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book bc I was at barnes and noble and keegan was doing a signing. I enjoyed the variety of photos, poems, and writings ranging from his early childhood to his PLL days. The split of sections allowed for distinct themes which enhanced the viewing/reading experience.

[Alexa Saenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo termine en una tarde, lo ame, me encanto, Dios no tengo palabras😍😍
Lo reelere!