Need a project while being confined at home during this time or simply want a side hustle away from the home office? Why not refine your content creation skills! Here are our top tips to creating a flatlay— you don’t even need to buy anything to get started.

Consider a theme for the photo

The thought of creating a flatlay can be overwhelming, so where do you start? We suggest starting with a theme so you can refine the items you want to feature. Here’s some thought starters…

• Memories from my travels

• My favourite skincare

• The ingredients to my favourite recipe

• My self care essentials

Pick a hero item

Once you have chosen a theme, next pick a hero item. Not all flatlays hero one item, however for the first time, it can help to choose one thing that will sing in the frame.

Utilise natural light

You don’t need fancy lighting to take a dynamic photo. Just position yourself near a window to get your image nice and bright.

If the image is TOO bright then use some baking paper,. Blu-tack this to the window and the light will be diffused.

Finding that there’s not enough light? Put some tin foil on some cardboard and hold it opposite to the window, as this will reflect the light you do have available back into your image!

Pick a background

Backgrounds for flatlays are all around the home when you start looking. Do you have a wooden dining room table? Some nice tiles in the bathroom? Take your time observing your spaces to find the best place to set up your shot!

Try to achieve balance

When thinking about balance in the image, try initially by placing the hero product in the centre of the image and adding props to the sides. Then adjust further by thinking of the four corners of the image and what will sit in each.

Use your phone camera as a guide

It can be challenging to get the perfect framing for your image without using something as a guide. We recommend holding your phone above your setup to show you how different items look in various positions. While holding the phone above the image, move the items to places you feel suit!

Remember, leave some space!

When you think you finally have the shot, think if some space can be created in the frame. Flatlays can get busy very quickly with lots of items, so space is key to perfecting the shot.

Most importantly, have fun and be creative!

Use practice time to make mistakes and allow your creativity to be tested. Your ideas may not come to fruition, but you can discover new ways of doing flatlays that you might not have if you hadn’t started!