The Art of the Flat Lay: Tips for Creating Beautiful Instagram Photos

One way to make your Instagram feed stand out is to take a more creative approach to your photos. One way to do this is by taking photos through the lens of a flat lay. A flat lay is a type of image that has at least three photos with the same background, and it’s a great way to show off one product. Here are tips for taking your own flat lay photos.

Stand in the Right Position

First, you need to find a spot that has a good amount of light. If your setting doesn’t have enough light, you can use the built-in speedlight on your camera. Just remember not to use your shoot-through umbrellas. As you can see in the image above, it’s best to be in the corner of a room or near a window with plenty of natural light coming through. Instagram reels can help you tell your brand’s story and connect with your followers on a deeper level and also make you see Who viewed my Instagram story.

Create a Blank Background

To get the flat lay effect, you want to use a background that’s made up of one solid color. This makes it easy to edit your photo later and crop out the background altogether. The photo below has a solid white background, like you see in most stores. This is an easy way to create a white backdrop that doesn’t require any special equipment or extra costs.

Keep It Simple

You can take flat lay photos of just about anything, but it’s best to keep the content of your photo simple. If you need help taking photos, remember that less is more. This makes it easy to crop out all the extra stuff in the photo and create a sort of collage type image. We recommend taking flat lays of one product or thing at a time to avoid confusion and clutter in your feed.

Capture Your Best Angle

Getting the perfect shot sometimes takes some experimenting with different angles. If you aren’t able to get a good angle, try back lights or reflectors to help shine light onto your subject.

Edit and Edit Again

There are a number of ways to edit your photo once you’re done taking it. You can use a computer program like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, or even free tools like Snapseed. Another option is to use Instagram’s built-in editing tools which are quite good as well.

Use an App

You may want to try using a photo app that lets you edit a flat lay before you put it on your phone. One app we recommend is PicLab. It has a built-in grid for you to take your photos, and it allows you to place objects within the photo similar to how you would in Photoshop. This can help give you inspiration for new ways to take flat lays or improve upon old ones.