Flatlays have changed the social media scene, especially Instagram. They are a fun and creative way of taking your content-creating to the next level.  You may have tried to shoot a few flatlays, but they just weren’t coming together, and you just don’t know what went wrong. I’ve got good news for you: making great flatlays is easier than you think.

I will be sharing my tips on how to create the flatlays you see on my Instagram account @cneh_shuga. Keep reading to learn my tips to making engaging flatlays.

What are they? Flatlays are pictures shot from a bird’s eye view, so you hold your phone or camera directly above the middle of your flatlay. Stand on a chair or ladder if you need to get higher. The aim is to position your camera parallel to your flatlay so the lens is aimed straight down. If you’re using an iPhone camera, use the square crop mode and turn on your grid to help line up your shot.

TIP 1: KNOW THE REASON BEHIND YOUR FLATLAYS

Creative flatlays always start when you know what you want to communicate throughthe photograph.What are you trying to accomplish with your flatlay? Are you sharing a new product? What’s the story you’re sharing with your flatlay? These are questions that you need to ask yourself before you start.Your motive behind the flatlay gives you direction and will influence the decisions you make when creating your flatlay.

TIP 2: LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING! 

Natural light is the best form of light to use on  your flatlays when you’re starting out. It's free and available everywhere. The best type of natural light is next to a window on  the shady side of yourhouse or  purely outside in the shade. Try to avoid direct rays of sunshine so that you don’t get harsh shadows or exposure (which can be difficult to edit). However, in some cases, shadows and rays can be beneficial to your picture – it’s all about perception.

TIP 3: A CLEAN BACKGROUND IS YOUR BEST BET

A clean, uncluttered background is is advisable as it gives your flatlay more impact. As a beginner, I’d suggest that you try to avoid using busy patterns or bold coloured backgrounds because they can be distracting and compete with the objects in your flatlay.

You probably already have many amazing backdrops that you can use at home, such as bed sheets, wooden squares, tiles, neutral coloured floors, kitchen countertops, light coloured paper, curtains – literally anything that can act as a blank canvas. Sometimes in other cases, busy patterns and dark colours make the best backgrounds. They surprise me and turn out really good. It’s all about trial and error and seeing what works for you.

TIP 4: HAVE A FOCAL POINT

Most flatlays have a ‘hero’ product or focal point. It’s often the product you’re trying to showcase.In this case, start styling your flatlay by placing your hero product first and then adding the other complementary elements around it. My hero here is Dove, so my complementary elements are an exfoliating brush and a plant. Play around with how your hero relates to the other elements in your picture.

TIP  5: USE SECONDARY PROPS

If your hero product is the star of your flatlay, then the secondary props are the supporting characters and extras in your story. Choose props that support your story by adding context to your hero product without stealing the limelight. Place your secondary props around the major elements of your flatlay to fill in the gaps. Play around with their position and angle. Sometimes you’ll use more props, sometimes you’ll use less – it’s all about balance. Your props shouldn’t take the attention, so keep them minimal and not too loud. Some of the props I love to use:

TIP 6: PLAY AROUND WITH EDITING APPS  

After taking your images, you may need to edit them. Some images require little to no editing, whilst others may require more. There are many amazing photography apps that can be used to edit your photos on your phone. My current favorites are Lightroom, VSCO, Snapseed, and the editing tools native to Instagram itself.

Tweaking the crop, exposure, contrast,saturation, and clarity are the easiest ways to make your flatlays really pop. Play around with the different tools and filters to get the right finish for your vision.

Just like any skill, the more you practice making flatlays, the better you’ll become. There’s really no right or wrong way in photography, so use these tips only as a guide. Once you get more comfortable with how you like to build your flatlays, experiment with new methods and ideas. Overtime, you’ll develop a look and feel to your work based on how you like to prop, light, and edit your images, which will create your own signature style.