Guide: Flay Lay Photography for Beginners
As a Photo Student, I’ve learned a lot that I wish I knew sooner. I didn’t realize how enjoyable flay lays could be until I learn how to shoot them, and I want to teach others what I know to teach someone who is just starting out as well. There are 3 things you need to keep in mind when working with food or products, keep in mind the feel or theme of the shoot, what props and backdrops to use, and the setup itself.
1- Theme/feeling
The first thing you need is a theme or feeling you want to achieve. Do you want it bright and springy or dark and moody? keep in mind what you want to photograph and the mood you want to portray before you go in blind.
2- Props
What kind of lighting do you need to tie in the mood of your photos, do you need natural sunny, or natural overcast, or will you need artificial light, how should you light the scene, etc.
What kind of background do you think you’ll need? Tile, concrete, weathered wood, stone, solid color, etc. Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can use what you have around the house or check out Amazon, personally, my favorite is making a trip to Home Depot, I got a 24’ by 24’ tile for $10!
3- Setup
I like to set up everything before I place my product down, meaning, for example, I’m working on a food photoshoot, I figure out where I’ll have my lighting, my backdrop and decorations are places, then I’ll place the food down. When I place my food down, I keep in mind a couple of things:
a. Use the Rule of Thirds- imagine on your screen there’s a gird and position your food/ product on the lines that connect.
b. Play with a shallower depth of field, AKA lower your F-stop to create depth in your photo.
c. Color Scheme- keeping in mind how you want to play with color, do you want to bring certain colors out, do you want to play around with complementary colors, something neutral or something bright and colorful? All these can play a role and step up your flat-lay photography.
d. Decorations- adding things like a dish towel, flowers, herbs, plates, cups, utensils, etc. can help create the mood and overall flat lay. Adding decorations can also add texture, interest, dimension, or overall, a story to your food/product.
e. If you’re using article light, play around with lighting, by moving your light source in different spots can display certain moods, do you want something well light and have that bright airy look, or add shadows and create contrast in the photo? I recommend this especially if you’re not used to lighting a setup, this can be great practice.
Overall, make sure to practice! This isn’t something you’ll get right away and that’s okay! challenge yourself to take photos of what you’re eating or go on Pinterest and find inspiration and see how other people play with angles or get creative with composition, or even what decorations/props they use in their photos. Doing something new can be intimidating, but it also can be fun to learn something new and train your eyes to find the best way to set up and advertise something as simple as a muffin.