I started taking more flatlay photos more often since the pandemic began in early 2020. What else could one shoot staying at home, right?
When I began taking flatlays, I read a lot of blog posts, saw a lot of YouTube videos but often found the same things being repeated.
Use aesthetic props, buy good backdrops, pinecones, candles, golden spoons, and the same items over and over again!
What are flatlays?
Flatlays are pictures taken of still life from a bird’s eye perspective. Balance is the key in flatlay photos. Both in terms of color and the size of the items or props used in it.
I honestly miss the old-school flatlays that existed on Instagram years ago that had some story/concept behind them or were based on a theme.
Flatlay Photography is not just about random cute-looking props thrown together. If you want to go from basic to pro, you need to embed meaning in your flatlay.
Flatlay photos are of great importance for small biz owners. You can showcase your products in the simplest way using flatlays photos on your social media handles like on Instagram.
Everyone likes flatlay photos. But what differentiates a pro flatlay from a basic one? Let’s find out.
Table Of Contents
How to create stunning flatlay photos
Have a purpose
When you want to shoot a flatlay, spend some time thinking and planning it out. After shooting thousands of flatlays, I’ve found that the best flatlays were a result of careful planning, deciding on the lighting, etc.
I spend more time planning a flatlay than shooting it.
Here are the things you can do, in this order.
First, decide on a theme, a purpose. Ask yourself: What do you want the viewer to feel like when they see this flatlay?
Do you want them to feel calm, happy, or intrigued?
When I created this flatlay linked below, I wanted to make the viewer feel calm and composed.
What comes to your mind when you think of breakfast?
Bread, eggs, milk, kitchen slab, butter, a plate, bowls, sugar, spoon, etc.
A breakfast-prep themed flatlay:
If you feel like going the extra mile, Google and find out which colors are used to convey which emotions.
Choose a color palette
Sure, you might get a beautiful flatlay photo if you use random colored props. But to really level up your game, you need to sit down and research color theory and palettes.
You can go about this in 2 ways.
Number 1: Choose a color palette and then find things you have in those colors.
Number 2: Choose the things you want to shoot with and then find a color palette that has that combination of colors.
If there’s a prop that you really want to use in the flatlay but it is of a different color, worry not. Photoshop is a lifesaver!
You can change the color of any object and make it match your overall flatlay’s palette. Here’s how you can do it. (Check out the post above, swipe to see how I changed the colors). Only the colors white and black can’t be changed into another color.
I have talked about shooting a flatlay with a color palette in detail in this blog post.
Need a quick way to create a color palette? You’ll thank me for this one 🙂
You can use this color palette tool on Canva. There are existing palettes available to choose from and you can also build your own.
See that search bar? Simply type in the words related to the picture you’re taking and you’ll be shown a list of recommended palettes.
Here are the results for the search term – happy.
You can even extract a color palette from a picture. Go to this color palette generator tool on Canva and upload your image.
I uploaded one of mine and got this:
Dark blue, teal, yellow, and orange make a great combination together, like in this one:
Here are some modern color palettes that might inspire you!
Selecting the right backdrop
The right backdrop acts like cement which holds your props together. It needs to be perfect but also not become the hero of your flatlay photos.
Just because a backdrop looks good in itself doesn’t mean whichever flatlay you’re planning to shoot will look great styled on it.
For instance, a wooden backdrop works great with food flatlays, work desk flatlays but not so much when you want to style a minimal, airy flatlay.
A tiled backdrop looks great when you’re building a bathroom setup but it doesn’t work food flatlays.
A pastel blue wooden backdrop to compliment the same blue on the cover of the planner and cake’s box:
A tiled backdrop to build a bathroom-like setup:
Also Read: I found the perfect backdrop stand on Amazon
Make light your best friend!
Learn to experiment with light in your flatlays to get amazing flatlay photos that stand out.
DIY different gobos. Gobos are things you keep in between your light source and your flatlay setups to create interesting shadows.
Some of the things that you might already have lying around are leaves, glasses, flower vases, etc.
I used a leaf to create this shadow, it’s always best to use a real-life while shooting than adding the shadow in Photoshop. The fake one is just too easy to spot.
Glass creates a beautiful reflection on a flatlay, every time I use one, its mesmerizing. Here’s an example:
Take sharp flatlay photos
For the longest time, I shot all of my flatlay photos handheld. I knew a tripod could be useful but never came around to actually buying it because it didn’t feel like its absolutely necessary.
But when I finally bought it, all I could think about was, “How did I manage to shoot flatlays before?”
I use and recommend Digitek DTR 520BH.
When you have your camera mounted on a tripod, it gives you the freedom to style your flatlay more easily.
Connect your camera to your phone using your camera brand’s app for remote shooting.
Plus, your hands are free and you’ll be able to use them in flatlay photos like this one:
