Whether you’re showcasing product, food, or any other items, shooting them in a flat lay style is one of the most aesthetically pleasing marketing shots. Typically, there is one hero item within the flat lay, while all the other items are there to compliment that hero piece. With our few tips and tricks below, you’ll be creating campaign worth shots in just a few steps!
Pick Your Surface
Choosing the right surface is paramount when creating a flat lay. Much like when choosing a backdrop for a photoshoot, it has the ability to completely change the mood or vibe of you photography. To really showcase what you’re shooting, consider a clean, simple backdrop that compliments everything in shot. This doesn’t mean that it just has to be a plain white surface – try adding different textures or patterns to really elevate your shot.
Consider Your Items
As with every photograph – composition is key. It’s important to consider the colour, texture, shape and size of each item and think about how each element works with the others. Start with your main subject, and work your other elements around it, always considering whether they are adding or taking away from the overall effect you want to achieve.
Extra tips for product positioning:
- Point items in different directions and angles to give your image a less staged look
- Open up or semi-dismantle products (perhaps cut a slice or take a bit if you’re shooting food) to give an ‘in-use’ feel.
- Move objects around between shots
All About Lighting
When shooting flat lays, artificial light will be your best friend. Giving you much more control over the lighting and shadows within your composition. We love to use the Kenro Smart Lite 19” RGB Ring Light as our main, overhead light in a flat lay set up – this gives you great control over the brightness and saturation of light within your image, as well as the ability to shoot through the light so you don’t end up with unwanted shadows. We also like to add in fill lights using our Kenro Smart Lite Bi-colour or RGB Compact Video Lights. By using these compact lights, you can create so many fun lighting effects such as dynamic shadows or lighting painting, or even play about with colour within the shot.
Experiment With Angles
There’s more to a flat lay shot than the classic shot directly from above. Get your camera off it’s tripod and play about with a variety of different angles and you might just be surprised with some of the results.
With these four tips, you can start to create your own amazing flat lay images. Go on, give it a go. And don’t forget to tag us on Instagram or Facebook to show your Kenro set ups and final images!
