Here are five tips to make you a flat lay expert in no time!

Flat lays have taken over Instagram showcasing people’s favorite products at home or in your office. Whether it is something that you sell or want to show off, a flat lay can enhance the visuals of your product immensely. Today we’re sharing five tips to make you a flat lay expert and to enhance your business through Instagram.

Choose a theme

Before getting all the supplies needed for the flat lay consider what the theme of the picture will be. If you are selling a product for an office, it can be an office themed flat lay that will consist of pencils, paper clip, stapler, notebooks, and something decorative like flowers or a cactus to give the photo more variety. If you are selling makeup, the products in the flat lay will include several types of makeup, a makeup bag, and even makeup brushes. Choosing a theme first will help you better understand what to place in the photo and where to place them.

Have a clean background

If you are unfamiliar with the Instagram flat lay world, the cleaner and more simple the background the better. White or marble backgrounds are appealing to the eye and will make the products in the photo stand out; we have a white desk that we use to take all of our flat lays.

If you don’t own a white desk or a marble background, have no fear. There are several options you can do to have a clean background without investing in a table; the solution is paper! You can get a pack of cardstock paper and place several next to each other to look like a white background. There are also marble backgrounds you can buy on Amazon that will also look like you have a marble backdrop. We recently wrote a blog about the best items for your Instagram flat lay, check it out here!

Place Strategically

Items on a flat lay are not placed at random they are placed strategically. Make sure that whatever products are being placed are appealing to the eye and not cluttered. It’s all about proportion so balance bigger items with smaller ones and create a square shaped diagram with the items used.

Bright Lights

We all know that the most natural light the better, but many times sunlight might be too bright or the sunset will create shadows on your desk. Lighting makes a big difference when it comes to flat lay, the brighter, the more appealing the photo will be. We use two studio lights that help us enhance the lighting and creating a brighter image. There is an option on your camera to click the screen to see a sun image. Once you see it, slide to the left or right to create the screen brighter enhancing the brightness of your image.

Choose The Best Filter

On Instagram, your collective photos posted is called a ‘feed.’ Many people have a color theme that they like to follow. The less, the better when it comes to a filter being placed over the photo because you want to enhance the image not cover it. With great lighting, a little contrast, and a few edits your flat lay will be ready to post! We edit our photos with an app called VSCO, and you too can master the art of VSCO with these easy steps.

Becoming a flat lay expert is an easy and fun way to showcase your business products. With these five tips, you will become a flat lay expert in no time!

Need help with your marketing? Let’s chat!