Top-down product photos are all the rage on social media. It gives you many ways to showcase your brand in a creative manner, but without the right tools it can be a challenge. Today we are going to talk about some tips and tools to help you create better social media photos for your brand.
Let's start with the surface. Many people don't realize that half the beauty of a great flat lay is the surface that it's photographed on. Some surfaces that are great for ariel photos include wood, marble, and other natural surfaces that are unique. Now this doesn't mean you need to drop hundreds of dollars purchasing unique tablet tops. All you need are small pieces of the different types of material. For wood, you can purchase a few pieces of quality laminate and hook them together to form a small surface area. And for marble, you can purchase a small slab on Amazon for under $30
Adding the right props to your flat lay is a great way to add depth and color to your photo. If your product is plain, you might want to add a pop of color by including a small flower or painting your nails a bright color and using your hand as the prop. Here are a few great and easy prop ideas that you can use in different flat lay photos:
As with all photography, lighting is extremely important. When taking a flat lay photo, you need to make sure that you don't have hard light coming from one source. This will cause harsh shadows. Instead, opt for a diffused light source. Probably the best diffused light source would be photographing outside on a cloudy day, or taking a photo in a room where you have windows letting in light from multiple sides.
When it comes to coming up with new ideas for flat lays featuring your product, keep in mind that less is more. Keep it simple. Adding too many props or colors can distract from your product.
I hope these tips will help you take your flat lay photos to the next level! If you test out any of these tips, be sure to share your photos with me on our social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).