If you have an Instagram account, you are likely to have come across what is known as Flat lay photography. Without a doubt, Flat lays have transformed the landscape of photography. In this post, we will be considering what Instagram flat lay is and tips to master Instagram flat lays using iPhone.
What is Flat lay?
If you are a novice, flat lay is simply a picture shot from the top view or bird’s eye of items that form a beautiful theme. The top viewpoint of a flat lay creates the impression that items are lying flat on the floor to the viewer. Generally, when you remove the depth in a picture, you will be left with a flat lay. In recent times, Flat lays have gradually become the reigning thing on Instagram. They are a great way to show your favorite objects and present addictions in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Types of Flat lays
Flat lays can usually be grouped into two (2) different types. One is centered around a mood while the other is centered around an object.
· Centered Around a Mood
With this type of flat lay, the focus is mainly on the mood of the picture, which is the story you are trying to communicate through the image. For instance, the photo can be centered around enjoying a lovely time at the beach rather than on a specific object like the boats or seashore.
· Centered Around an Object
With this type of flat lay, the key focus is on a particular object you are trying to showcase. For instance, your focus might be a boat, and the whole picture will be styled around the book being the main object.
3 Tips to Master Instagram Flat lays
Getting a perfect flat lay picture is not difficult but can be a bit challenging. However, there’re several tips you can follow when shooting a range of flat lays using the iPhone to achieve the best results.
The top three (3) tips you can follow are:
1. What is the Story You Want to Tell?
The first thing to consider if you want to master flat lays is the concept you are trying to showcase. Even though you can place good looking random items together to create a flat lay, it will not have any impact if you do not have a concept or story behind it.
Your story or concept can be as simple as what is on the floor to even complex ones like my journey to Canada. However, it is essential to have a solid story or concept in place. As a result, you must ask yourself what message do you want to send via the flat lay? If you can answer this question, it will make it easier to create the flat lay.
2. Select Soft Lighting
Lighting is yet another vital component if you want to correctly get a flat lay. A flat lay picture is two-dimensional; hence it is good to avoid any form of shadow appearing in your photo. As a result, ensure you make use of a soft and diffused natural lighting when shooting flat lays.
We recommend you shoot your flat lays in the morning when the sun is low. This is because, at noon, the sun gets overhead, causing shadows in your pictures, hence, capable of disrupting your photo’s correctness.
3. Select a Plain Background
In terms of the best backgrounds for flat lays, the less and more straightforward, the better. It is best to select a plain background for your flat lays as in bringing out the distinction in the objects that forms the flat lay.
Even more, you can make use of white foam board or white wooden board as your flat lay background. Although you can also make use of colored backgrounds, ensure that it blends with the colors of the flat lay objects.
Dark objects on dark backgrounds can result in creating an unflattering flat lay. Also, you can make use of textured backgrounds, but make sure you avoid prints and patterns that can distract the background.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although shooting Instagram flat lay photos using the iPhone can be tricky, with the right tips, you can always get it right. We’ve provided you with the top three tips you can use to master Instagram flat lays using iPhone.