Things you NEED to elevate your flat lay photography game

I used to spend so much time scrolling through instagram being like “Wow, I want to do that. I want to be able to piece flat lays together!”. Like many things, it just got to a point where I was like ok now let’s try this out and see how it goes.

also, for reference:

A flat lay is a picture taken from a birds eye view of a collection of items laid out on a flat surface. Usually there will be one item that is the main focus of the shot, all the other items in the flat lay are there to complement that piece.

thanks google

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I am in no way an expert, in fact, I’m a huge amateur. I guess delving into flat lay photography while being stuck at home has become another creative outlet for me. I go more into how I started getting into photograpy here.

First and foremost, I created a pinterest board containing my current flat lay must-haves! So check that out here. More recently I’ve realized how great of a tool pinterest is to link things in bulk.

Let’s break my list down!!!

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The equipment

The camera I’m using that I got maybe 3-4 years ago…. is the Nikon COOLPIX L830 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 34x Zoom NIKKOR Lens and Full 1080p HD Video (Black) (Discontinued by Manufacturer).

I also don’t really use any equipment other than my tripod (which I 10/10 recommend as it comes with the bluetooth remote & also an attachment to use for your Iphone). It’s super easy to use and it was super reasonable.

Selfie Stick Tripod, UBeesize 51″ Extendable Tripod Stand with Bluetooth Remote for iPhone & Android Phone, Heavy Duty Aluminum, Lightweight

The backdrop

Although I’m very grateful to be living with my family during quarantine, there isn’t much space in the house to use to take photos… and as cringe as it is to say…. most of the house is too dark and doesn’t match my ideal aesthetic.

To fix that I bit the bullet and purchased a backdrop off etsy. I wasn’t too sure which one to go for but this one had great reviews and honestly it’s such great quality too. I really recommend this brand.

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The main props

Lately I’ve been using a couple main props that my flat lays focus around. As you can guess from my instagram, or from my past posts like Staying Organized in Quarantine, I love using coffee as the star of the show.

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Another favorite prop of mine is my Savor Life Planner which I’ve ranted about a bit in past posts. I not only love the function of it but how well they photograph. It also just reiterates how I thrive off productivity!

The filler props

These are just some examples of some of my favorite ones to use but head to my pinterest board to get the full list.

Okay, so

These macrame are everything. I always get so many questions about where I got them from and it makes me so happy because this artist is SO talented. I love not only functionally using these coasters at my desk, but also to add texture to my photos.

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Although I’d prefer to have real flowers and plants as props, Target just kills the game with all the fake flowers what can I say. They are super affordable.

The “brand” I guess from Target called Hearth & Hand has been coming out with so many cute basket kind of accessories and this one is my favorite as of now. A great addition to add dimension and texture into photos and also its just super cute.

What’s your opinion on flat lays?

What are your favorite photography props to use?

*disclaimer* some of these links are affiliate links, but not all. Thanks so much if you’ve read this far. I appreciate it so much.

Lots of love,