Ahh yes, the world we live in is made up of beautiful pictures filled with Photoshop in all of it's glory. I've been so perplexed by this for some time now, always wondering why some photos look amazing and others are completely lackluster (mine always seeming to be of the latter). So I went on a mission today to try to discover the art in amazing flatlay photos (I actually had to Google what it meant, lol). Please bare in mind that I am in no way an expert on this I am just a woman trying to break this down into easy steps for all of us unexperienced "Flatlayer's" (Is that an occupation? Lol).
Alright, Let's get this party started! First and foremost, make sure that you have natural light. You don't want to take your photos in the early morning or late evenings as this can cast more shadows. Here's the spot in my house that gets the most light. I took this photo after I did my flatlay pictures just to give you an idea of the right kind of natural lighted space that I used.
Next you want to pick a background that will compliment your flatlay photo. I chose to use the faux fur rug that I use for my desk chair (see picture below) but you can use a wooden floor, clean sheet, tabletop, blanket, tiles, rugs or just about anything that you can think of that isn't too busy. And definitely don't go out and buy anything too quickly, take a look around your home for items that could work, I bet you have a few!
Now that you've picked your background, it's time for you to pick the items that will go on your flatlay. Try to pick items that compliment one another nicely. All you need is a little creativity and imagination. I am about to leave for Dallas in a couple of days to go to AdvoCare's Success School at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium so I wanted to put together items that correspond to what I'll be wearing and bringing with me :)
I don't know about you but I think this makes a good flatlay picture too and all I did was throw the items that I wanted to use on my bed, lol. Ok, stay with me here...
Next you will need to place your background on the well lit area and start to organize your items as you see fit. Now see how this original picture (below) had more yellow tones to it? I learned how to change the yellow color cast in order to get the bright whites that we see in these type of pictures from a quick tutorial from It's Always Autumn.
And after all that work here is my finished product! I'm sure there is plenty of room to grow but for my very first one I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out. And remember, there really is no wrong way or right way to place your items. As you can see from the above photo where I just kind of threw everything down vs placing everything down right where I want them just gives both photos a whole new look :)
If you can think of anything that I may have missed or you have a better solution to making a flatlay, I'd love to hear your input in the comments below.
And before I take off, I thought it would be fun to list out the items that I used in this picture for you so here you go...
1) "Make it Happen" journal from Home Goods
2) MAC Lipstick "Viva Glam"
3) Ring from Stella and Dot
4) Earrings from Bebe
5) Jo Malone Candle "Wood Sage & Sea Salt"
6) Gold Pumps made by Chinese Laundry
7) AdvoCare Spark for mental focus and energy
8) Michael Kors watch
9) This is a bracelet that I got from a boutique in Laguna Beach which is no longer there :(
10) Whoop whoop, this is the AdvoCare Gold Pin that you can receive if you are looking for a way to make some extra money
Anyway, I hope you liked my tutorial and come back for some more fun ideas for the beginner like me ;)
xxox,
CJ
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