dailygaelley

A flat lay is an image that consists of a set of objects of the same theme arranged in an order. The image is usually taken from a height and it should usually appear neat and organized. Here are a couple of flat lays of films I found on Twitter that I liked:

This immediately inspired me to try out creating some of my own. My first attempts were hasty and produced a mess of everything. 

Here are the things I realized trying to create semi-perfect flat lays:

1. You NEED good lighting!

I have to stress this so much. You cannot create good flat lays (images, even) without great lighting. I suggest investing a good lamp and taking photos during the day because of the natural light. 

2. Get pretty and plain background. 

This goes hand-in-hand with great lighting. Most flat lays use a plan, white background and it just brings out the color of your subjects.

3. Get organized!!

You have to measure and check whether or not your objects fit your theme. You have to consider the color, the size and the overall cohesiveness it brings to your flat lay. 

4. Do NOT overthink it. 

Check twice. If it fits the theme, then great. If it doesn’t, then remove it. It’s easy as that. The more you dwell on it, the more weird it looks in your eyes. (Just like how looking at a certain word for way too long will make you wonder whether or not it’s spelled right) 

5. Know how and when to edit.

I have committed one too many sins against the photo editing gods. It’s always one or the other: over-edited or poorly edited. The darker photos posted are the ones I struggled with and the bright, clean-looking ones are the things I consider my masterpieces. (Hahaha) I edit with Snapseed and the photo editor in the Iphone. 
So here’s how I take my photos and my semi-okay flat lays. Get those IG feeds pretty, people!