Flay Lay Tips

I was meaning to have this post up earlier, but procrastination got the best of me. I often get asked for flat lay tips so I thought I'd share some tips. 

Some rules that I follow by:

- always take photos in natural light, preferably in the morning

- when taking photos I usually like to take it on cloudy days. cloudy days = no shadows, sunny days = shadows.

- have a white background, think of it as a blank canvas (you don't necessarily have to but I prefer to have a white background to let the items I have stand out) 

Pick a theme and color palette.

When thinking of a flat lay photo, I think of a theme and items I can place that'll be harmonious with one another. For example, if I'm doing a beauty post like the one pictured above I think of a color palette. Since the color palette is pink, I place items that'll balance one another. I sometime include flowers in my photos for a finishing touch. For ootd flat lay posts, I typically use the same rule of thumb. As you can tell from my photos, my favorite color palettes include pink, black, white, and grey.

Make it stick.

I bet some of you are wondering how everything stays still without rolling around. It's a quick fix, it's tape. Sometimes I don't need tape and sometimes I do if it's not staying in place. Voila. 

Play around, think of it as tetris.

I used to play tetris a lot when I was in school which probably explains why I'm a perfectionist when it comes to taking flat lay photos. Everything must align and fit perfectly - same space in between each item and if one thing looks off  I'll figure out what it is before I post. I'm not saying every photo is perfect, because it certainly isn't but it captures my aesthetic. I want my photos to have the look that only I can create, where people can identify it's my photo. 

Don't copy & paste.
Instagram has changed a lot from when I first started. There are countless instagram users that have amazing photos, but what sets each apart is how unique and different they are. Sadly, I see so many accounts recreating and styling photos to look identical to mine. Creativity and authenticity is what sets different instagram accounts and photos, and I hope that people can see the difference between inspiration and imitation. In the long run, it's creativity that sets you apart :) So have fun and don't let the number of followers or likes be your goal. Be authentic.

Here are some other blog posts that might be of interest:
my advice on growing your instagram
instagram tips

Love, Sharon