Think bloggers…think flat lays.
Way back when, before this blog was even thought about, I used to love following bloggers on Instagram and looking at their fabulous flat lay pictures in awe.
Little did I know how much work actually went into them. Even now I’m still learning how to compose the perfect flat lay image and so when the team at Pink Lady Apples invited me to a blogger photography workshop, I jumped at the chance.
I was asked to bring an object I’d like to be the focal point of the image, I took a brand new pair of sandals from Boden that I’m currently obsessed with.
With the help of photographer India Hobson I picked up some great tips – so great it felt wrong not to share with you lovely lot!
Lighting
- Head towards the
window. - The best days to shoot are slightly cloudy/overcast days – they’re bright but don’t bring
the troubles of full sun. - Full sun will
give high contrast images and you might struggle to get all the detail of the
subject.
Surfaces
- For the majority of
the time, avoid shiny surfaces as they
can reflect the light in odd places and create hotspots and this can be
distracting. - When choosing your surfaces look at matt/flat
materials as they will sit quietly and not detract from your subject.
Colours
- Working with
colour is absolutely about personal preference; from natural muted
tones to bright primaries, every one is different and that’s
okay! - There is no right
or wrong answer when it comes to colour – the key is to play around and find
where you feel everything sits right. - If you use a dark
subject on a dark background you need to pay a lot of attention to the detail
in the image, as it’s likely that your subject will blend into its background
and same goes for light-on-light.
As for the rest
- There are no
rules; if it looks right then it is right. - Play, experiment
and have fun.
So there you have it, some top tips I picked up at the workshop. I am still always on the look out for ways to up my flat-laying game, so if you can think of anything you do that you swear by when snapping a pic then do let me know!
K x
