What is Flatlay? 3-step guide to taking beautiful, professional flatlay photos

Flatlay is not only a photography style but also an art that expresses creativity in arranging objects. This style brings sophistication and harmony to each photo, creating a unique and inspiring space. If you are looking for a way to master the art of flatlay photography, this article by Sadesign will help you understand what flatlay is and how to take 3 simple steps to have extremely impressive flatlay photos.

1. Introduction What is Flatlay?

Flatlay is a term used to describe a particular style of photography in which objects are arranged in a composition on a flat surface and photographed from above. Originating from Instagram and other social media users sharing photos of everyday objects, flatlay has quickly become a popular trend not only in the photography community but also in marketing and product advertising campaigns.

The special thing about flatlay style is the way you arrange objects to create a harmonious, attractive and easy-to-see layout. The simplicity, sophistication but extremely effective of flatlay makes it a powerful promotional tool, especially in the fashion, beauty, food and lifestyle industries.

This style not only helps highlight the main product or subject but also creates aesthetics and appeal for the photo. Flatlay is often widely used in advertising, social networks, and media publications to convey messages visually and creatively. To achieve the best effect, the choice of color, light, and the coordination of objects in the frame play a very important role.

2. Three Simple Steps to Take Amazing Flatlay Photos

To create a beautiful flatlay photo, you do not need to be a professional photographer or use expensive equipment. With just a few simple steps, you can completely create impressive flatlay photos and attract viewers.

2.1. Step 1: Select and prepare materials

To create an impressive flatlay photo, choosing and preparing the items is an extremely important first step. Make sure you choose items that have harmonious colors, suitable sizes and are related to the theme you want to convey. 

Next, clean and arrange the items neatly, avoiding unnecessary details that distract from the photo. Don't forget to prepare a shooting space with good natural light or use suitable artificial light sources to highlight every detail in the frame. Careful preparation will be the foundation to help you create professional and attractive flatlay photos.

This requires you to have an aesthetic eye and the ability to combine items so that they blend together naturally.

When choosing an object, you should keep in mind the following factors:

Color : Using harmonious colors will make the photo easy to look at and not confusing. Avoid choosing too many bright colors at the same time, as this can reduce the aesthetics of the photo.

Materials and textures : Objects with different textures will create interesting visual effects, such as wood, fabric, metal, glass… Find ways to combine them to create a balance of shapes and materials.

Theme : Determining the main theme of your photo will help you choose the right props. For example, if you are trying to take a flatlay photo of coffee, choose a coffee cup, small spoons, a few coffee beans, and related decorative accessories.

One tip is to try arranging items in different shapes and layouts before taking the photo to find the most optimal arrangement.

2.2 Step 2: Choose the right shooting angle and composition

Taking flatlay photos not only requires creativity but also requires the skill of arranging and choosing the right angle to create an impressive photo. The angle is an important factor that determines the success of a flatlay photo. To give the photo a certain depth and width, you should place the camera or phone higher than the objects, so that they are shot directly from above.

Some tips to help create beautiful flatlay photos:

Ensure lighting : Natural light is always the best choice when shooting flatlay. Look for areas with soft light such as near windows to create soft light that is not too harsh. If there is not enough natural light, you can use softbox or LED lights to soften the light and avoid creating too strong shadows.

Place the camera firmly : To avoid shaking, you should use a tripod if possible, or place the phone/camera in a stable position.

Creative Composition : Creating an interesting composition is essential in a flatlay. You can arrange the objects diagonally, in a circle, or create a diagonal line down the middle to lead the viewer’s eye. Remember that not all objects have to be in a straight line – be creative and experiment with different arrangements.

2.3 Step 3: Edit and finalize the photo

After you’ve taken your shot, editing will help you bring out the details and enhance the aesthetics of your flatlay. Editing can include adjusting brightness, contrast, color balance, and highlighting important elements in your photo.

Some popular photo editing software that you can use are:

Lightroom : A powerful photo editing software, suitable for both beginners and professional photographers. Lightroom helps you adjust parameters such as brightness, contrast, color saturation, etc.

Snapseed : This is an easy-to-use photo editing app, with many filters and basic editing tools, very suitable for beginners.

VSCO : In addition to a variety of filters, VSCO also offers detailed editing tools to enhance the quality of your photos.

Keep in mind that the editing goal is to make the photo lively and attractive, but don't overdo the effects to avoid losing the naturalness of the photo. At the same time, be careful to remove unnecessary or redundant details to keep the focus on the main subject. Finally, applying the right filters will help increase the aesthetics and style consistency of your work. A perfect flatlay photo not only shows sophistication in arrangement but also in attention to every smallest detail!

3. Conclusion

Flatlay is not just a photography style, but a way to express your personality, lifestyle and creativity. Whether you are a beginner or experienced, just follow three simple steps: choose the items, choose the right angle and composition, edit the photo and you can create impressive flatlay photos.