041: Tips for Creating Flat Lay Photography
Topics Discussed and Key Points
•What to use as backgrounds for flat lay photography
•How flat lay spreads can engage viewers
•What you should include in your photos
•Ways you can keep things simple or expand on flat lay spreads
Flat lay photography can be a great addition to your digital platforms as a creative. With a few intentional placements, you can add interest and variety to any feed.
What is flat lay photography? Well, in essence it's a photograph taken directly above on a “flat” setup. With the use of a flat surface serving as the backdrop, items are staged and photos or videos are shot from directly above. These have fast become the standard on Instagram.
What to Shoot on:
As you scroll through feeds from Instagram to Pinterest, keep an eye out for flat lay photography. You may notice they are often shot on rich wood planks or marble countertops. But, as Roben-Marie and Sandi point out— they’re not always the real deal. Often, the creators behind those photographs get creative when creating backgrounds for their flat lays.
You can utilize anything from actual furniture with character to plain white poster board. Here are a few suggestions they share in this episode:
Photography backdrop paper
Poster board, foam core board or a white canvas
White table surfaces
Furniture
Grass or outdoor paving
Consider what fabrics or surfaces you have at your disposal. You may even want to consider purchasing specialized flat lays if you want to up your game.
What to Include:
As a creative, when you’re using flat lays to share your art, you may want to focus on including elements that highlight the work you are looking to promote.
Here are some suggestions from this episode:
Pens and pencils
Paints, brushes, inks and other art supplies
Items with complementary or coordinating colors
Succulents or other plants
Tea and coffee cups
Pretty notebooks and journals
Pretty bowls or trinket dishes
Chopstick holders (perfect for your watercolor brushes)
Watercolor palettes or swatch cards
Leaves and twigs
Stationery
Rubber bands, clips and other office supplies
Starting Simple and Leveling Up:
When you’re just getting started, there’s no need to overthink things or invest too much money. You can start with existing surfaces in your space and take a minimalistic approach to staging. There’s no need to fill every inch of the photo, even when you become more experienced— as Sandi and Roben-Marie point out, negative space can create a great opportunity to add quotes or really put the focus on a particular piece.
Once you’ve tried out a few flat lay images with your audience, you’ll likely be hooked! Keep practicing and hone in on how your photos are working with the overall aesthetic of your feed. Add variety with more backgrounds. Explore photo composition options like the rule of 3rds or get creative with your lighting.
Whether you keep things simple or not, adding flat lay photography to your feed as a creative is going to spark conversation and engagement around your work.
Mentioned: The Art Bit Clip: A Tutorial
Backdrop Source: HQbackdrops
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