How to Slay a Flatlay

Flatlay photography has been an Instagram trend for the past 5 years or so. It has been used by social media influencers, bloggers and brands as a form of social media marketing. This form of photography involves taking pictures by positioning your camera directly above the subject. They look absolutely stunning and professional. A good flatlay is able to capture an effortless story without any hint that each item has been carefully constructed and pieced together.

Basic Flatlay

Here are 3 tips for taking a good flatlay:

#1 Keep Your Background Simple

With a simple background, more emphasis is placed on the subject matter. Simple backgrounds such as wooden tables, coloured paper or floor tiles can complement the subject matter instead of distracting the audience. If you find that your background is falling flat and lacks dimension, try using textured items such as a bed sheet or a furry rug that helps add depth to the flatlay.

Plain Background

Textured Background

#2 Have a Theme In Mind

Themes are very important. They tie the objects in a photo together which helps in creating a smooth story. Themes also map out the colour scheme of the photo. For example, a travel themed flatlay can have blue or green colour themes and a certain set of elements like a map, camera or sunglasses.

Travel theme #1

Travel Theme #2

#3 Use Natural Light

This is the rule of thumb when shooting flatlays. Midday lighting tends to be harsh so try shooting in the mornings and afternoons. Natural light is used because it does not create shadows. If natural light is unavailable due to bad weather conditions, try using soft overhead lights to illuminate the elements in the photograph and prevent lighter coloured objects from being blown out.

Soft, overhead light

Natural light

NOW GO SLAY YOUR NEXT FLATLAY!!