If you master only one type of product photography, make it the flat lay. Whether you’re a chef, artisan, entrepreneur or other hustling creative, if you make and sell a physical thing, the flat lay is your new best friend.
(Um, Kelly, what the heck’s a flat lay?)
If you’ve been on the interwebs, you know it: flat lays are product photographs, shot from above, with the product laid out, well, flat. It’s a great way to market almost anything online. From food to fashion to any kind of object or item, it’s a clean, easy and, frankly, underrated marketing asset.
Kay, got it. So why are flat lays so great?
Glad you asked. Simply put, pictures sell. Social media and online marketing are more than 90% visual (sorry, writer buds). Nothing affects how your product and brand is perceived more than your visuals. They convey quality, as well as demonstrating the lifestyle your audience aspires to.
A good flat lay shows the product clearly. A great flat lay tells a product story and sparks something in the viewer (ideally the urge to get out their Visa and make it rain!).
I want to make this REAL easy on you, so I made a whole section on flat lays in Photos That Sell, my free product photography guide.
I’m hooking you up with tips on:
- How to place items in a visually pleasing way
- What lighting to use
- What angle to shoot from
And I CANNOT WAIT to see your gorgeous flat lays come to life. Share your pics with pride (even the one you don’t love, that’s how we learn together).
Xo Kelly
P.S. If you’ve struggled with product photography in the past, I swear, the flat lay is the simple fix you’ve been waiting for. Remember, this doesn’t need to be painful to be good. And by good, I mean shots you’re proud of, and that get the kind of business results you’re after.