Five easy principles to getting perfect flat lays, every time

Flat Lays have been around now for about 7 or 8 years, believe it or not. Started by influencers, laying out their passport, their sunglasses, and some travel essentials perhaps, to announce a trip, for example. It was a bit odd at the time, forcefully posing items together in an aesthetically pleasing way and then posting it onto Instagram - but why? Simple. Because it's pretty. And when we are on Instagram, we like looking at "pretty", and aesthetically pleasing images, even if they are clearly posed. It's likened to a miniature styled shoot. It demonstrates the potential beauty of a product, or the feeling you'll have when you have these products around you.

Have you tried to do your own flat lays, maybe for announcing your baby's birth, or gifts you received, or products you want to sell; but just feel that you can't quite get the look and feel of it right?

It actually doesn't take a ton of creativity to do, it takes a few simple principles, which you can practice - and then finding your own unique style. I hope this article gives you some needed direction and you start feeling more and more confident in your styling as you go!

1. Lighting - good NATURAL lighting is where it’s at

Direct sunlight generally is too harsh - find a spot where the light is bright but not direct, unless you’re using those shadows for a specific effect. For certain product photography, you can use ring lights too - and other forms of synthetic light. But 99.9% of the time - you want soft natural light.

2. Preparation

This is the part that takes the longest. Put thought into the props you’re going to use. Do you want water droplets? Do you want flowers or leaves? Coffee beans? Chia seeds? A plant? The sky is the limit - have fun! But make sure it’s not too crazy and stays tasteful and relevant to the subject.

3. Backgrounds

Backgrounds must be minimal and simple. The best place to get them is from Creative Barn - they now print all of their designs onto mats which are high quality and waterproof, but easy to roll up and take with you 👌🏼 if you’re starting out, get a light one and a dark one. Then add to your collection monthly! (They sell amazing styling tools too.)

4. Composition

You can have fun with this. Placing your product and props in an S shape? Or all on one corner with negative space around it? Or scattered? Play and play until you are happy!

5. Editing

You can’t skip editing! Please. Download Lightroom or VSCO and adjust your lighting and colour. Generally images look best with slightly more exposure and just slightly more colour saturation. Alternatively, you can purchase Preset bundles and try those out.

Just keep trying - no one gets it right the first time. Look at other pages for

inspiration and find your own vibe - your own style! Have fun with it, don’t be nervous. Even if you take 1000 shots before you get THE ONE!