Simple Flatlay Tips I Follow Every Time

One blog post that is frequently requested of me is blog photography, especially flatlays. Over the years, I slowly feel like I've developed and improved my own style, continuing to hone my photography and editing skills as I go. Even looking back a year, I can see how much I've improved and how I feel far more settled in my style now, so I thought it was fitting that I shared with you a handful of my flatlay tips that I always follow. 

Lower Your Saturation and Colour Correct | I get asked about my editing process a lot and I've actually done a whole post on it previously here. Although the process is pretty much the same, I've got a lot more heavy-handed when it comes to saturation, the reason being that I like the way it looks when counteracting blueness or overexposure. If you're using photoshop, I colour correct on there using a -10 towards yellow, +5 towards red, so colour saturation is now near the -28 in order to get my photographs the way I would like them. 

Balance Your Products | If I had to name the most important element of a flatlay, I would have to say it's composition. Now, when I'm talking about balancing your products, I'm not suggesting stacking them all up and hoping for the best, I'm talking about finding a way for them to compliment each other in a flatlay. I always start with the longest/largest products at the top, scattering a few medium products as I go down and then placing the littlest one in the spare spaces. 

If like the photograph above, you want to feature several large items, then I like to keep them a few inches apart, maybe even featuring half of it or keeping it at a different angle. Removing lids of products and placing them around and putting various props in spots that are looking a little bare can all make a flatlay look more aesthetically pleasing. 

Fill The Corners | If in doubt, fill them out. Honestly, I'm envious of those bloggers who can pile a bunch of products in a middle of a white background and make it look A*, but I'm not one of them. I use tissue paper, flowers, props found in stationery shops or even homeware pieces like trinket dishes, candles and books to help fill out a photograph. If you have a nearly-transparent product to photograph or one that doesn't contrast well with your background, then I would definitely say that putting a blanket behind it can be a godsend. 

Products That Are Level Are Easier To Photograph | Now I worried I'd struggle to word this top tip correctly, but here goes and try to bear with me. When I have tubes of products (a hand cream or the Glossier cloud paints for example) I often struggle to photograph these, as the writing on them can go out of focus when the tube gets slimmer. To counteract this I simply open up a paperclip to form a V and rest the lower end of the tube on it - Viola! A level product to photograph. 

What flatlay photography tips do you follow?