5 Tips for Better Flat Lays

June 6, 2018

A good flat lay is thoughtfully simple. Meaning that to the viewer it appears as if a random collection of pretty objects were easily laid out onto a surface and shot from above, but as any photographer that has tried it will tell you…..flat lays can be tricky! There is a lot of careful thought and planning that goes into every flat lay image.

A beginner at them myself, I have been playing around with flat lays for a few months now and wanted to share with you some tips I have learned along the way.

Here are five things to keep in mind before creating a flat lay:

Pick the Right Objects –A good flat lay tells a story or describes a moment in time, so consider your theme first. The options are endless – the beach, homemade foods, fashion, travel, etc. Once your theme is picked, you can begin collecting your objects. Do not forget to consider a color palette as well!

When I first started playing around with flat lays, I didn’t realize the importance of two things – choosing objects that aren’t too tall and choosing dull objects without shine. When photographing from above, depth plays an important part of your image. You will want your objects to not vary greatly in height, unless you are purposefully trying to be creative with your focus. I also learned that while I can certainly edit out some shine using Photoshop, too much glare is not worth the work in post and can quickly look unnatural or distracting.

In the example below, the glare and smudges on the knives are distracting to me. I also notice the spoiled spot on the potato. These are details I could fix in post, but I generally try to get it right in camera first.

I like objects that are recognizable, have texture, and have an interesting color or shape. Plants are always a favorite!

Your backdrop makes a difference –When I first began practicing flat lay photography, I naively thought that any unique surface would work. In fact, the opposite was true – my homemade bread on my granite counter top was overshadowed by the glaring shine, the teacups on my dining room table looked odd on the orange undertones of the wood, my wood floors also had glare, etc. Nothing was working! One day I was scrolling Instagram and found @mediumboards and knew that was a perfect solution. They have so many cool backdrops to choose from that are much better than my counters at home. They are also lightweight, perfectly sized, lay completely flat, glare free, stain free, and water resistant! I have the Rustic Wood “Hank” and the Shiplap “Chiplap” and love both.

Here you can see a pullback image using the Rustic Wood Medium Board:

Make your light match your theme-Either soft, even, natural light or strong, directional side lighting is usually best. If you are choosing even flat lighting and want a “bright” look, I suggest shooting a bit overexposed so that the whites are truly white. I usually set my board up inside by a North facing window (which consistently gives me even lighting) or outside on my covered patio.

Thoughtfully compose –Whether you want your flat lay to be organized or in a disarray, you will need to give a lot of consideration to your composition. I prefer to give space between my objects (unless I have a purposeful small grouping) and arrange so that I have a mix of some objects coming out the edges of my frame and some that are fully within the frame. Regardless of whether your objects are tidy or strewn about, remember to consider the balance of them within the frame. Each object has “visual weight” – so do not place all your larger objects on one side and your smaller objects on the other.

Set your camera up right –If you have a tripod that is able to shoot straight down, you are in luck! You will find that setting up your flat lay is so much easier if you can be hands free and adjust your flay lay objects as needed. If not, do not worry! Use the “live view” feature on the back of your LCD screen to see your composition in real time. For settings and gear, I have been using my Sigma 35mm at about f3.5 and ISO 200 or so.