Flat lay photography seems to be becoming quite a trend. It’s being used more and more from food to travel and still life. It’s a great and simple way to showcase items and tell a story. This is a good one for DSLR and mobile shooters alike (shooters take note!)
What is a ‘flat lay’?
A flat lay is simply, a picture of items or things taken from the top giving an impression of them laying flat on the ground (two dimensional).
Here’s a few tips on creating a great flat lay:
Pick the right background
Choose a plain background so the items can retain the spotlight but will also add contrast to the image. White backgrounds are very popular but I love the addition of some texture.
Set your shot up well
Organisation is key! Try to space your items, give everything enough room. Is it too messy? Is the shot balanced? If the items are arranged in a line – are they straight? Perhaps try out a few different layouts for the same set of items and see what looks better when pictured from the top.
Good lightingÂ
You don’t need a studio set up to execute these well, natural lighting is great so set up your shots near a window!
Get the perfect angle
Getting a birds eye view can sometimes be tricky and getting it wrong can make your image look distorted. (If you’re using an iPhone then you can use the handy inbuilt grid.)
Do you have any top tips to add? Share them in the comments below.