Lighting Techniques for Flat Lay Photography

If you’ve been scrolling Instagram for the past few years, you know what we mean by “flat lay.” For those who are unaware, flat lay photography is a style of photography in which the image is seen from above or at the most a 45-degree angle looking down. The uniqueness of a flat lay is how elements are arranged to look beautiful together as a group.

For a photographer, lighting a flat lay setup is not difficult. But if you aren’t a photographer and have tried to recreate a beautiful flat lay you definitely had these problems:

• The photograph had really strong shadows next to every element.
• Some sections of the photo were really bright while others were too dark.
• The colors of the objects didn’t look like they are in real life.

All these problems are due to bad lighting. Without going into too much photo tech jargon, we’ll give you some tips on how to illuminate your flat lay setups.

The most important thing to remember when illuminating a flat lay setup is that the light should be as even as possible. It either has to come from the side and have a white reflector to equalize the intensity or it has to come from above. It can even come from all around. The idea is to diminish the shadows and separate the objects from the background.

One tool which you will need – eventually – apart from a camera is a tripod. There are tripods available for both phones and cameras of any size and shape.

Natural Light

The easiest of all the lighting techniques is to simply use the sun’s natural light. You’re in luck if you have large windows or an outside space available. If not, there are some tricks for making natural lighting more even.

If using the light coming in from a window, set up the objects next to it at the same level. If the window is floor to ceiling, then set up the objects on the floor. Otherwise, use a table at the same height of the windowsill.

You might have to try and photograph at different times of day to see what time of day gives the best light. If the objects are giving off too much shadow, use a white paper board or cotton sheet on the opposite side of the window to reflect the light and illuminate the darker areas.

When using natural light later in the day, turn off any lights inside the house. Artificial lights on one side and natural light on the other can sometimes create different color shadows and highlights.

If you have an outside space, the best times are early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Another time which can give a nice even light is around noon on a cloudy day. You can use a lightbox if the sun is really bright.

Pro or DIY Lightbox

A lightbox is just what it sounds like, a box with light, or light in a box. Professional photographers use lightboxes to photograph small products like makeup or jewelry. There are lots of options if you want to use one. From creating it yourself to buying one online.

The technical idea of a lightbox is to create a space with light surrounding it. The box is made of a light frame with opaque white paper or plastic which helps diffuse the light. Photographers use continuous light sources like small HMI bulbs but you can also use your home lamps without the lampshade. Simply set up the lights around the box in a way that makes the light inside the box even.

With the rise of Instagram flat lay photography, some companies have even started selling lightboxes made especially for mobile phones. For more control of the light, the lightbox can even have led lights lining the inside.

Flash with a softbox

Another illumination technique for your flat lays is to use a professional photo lighting set up. A pro flash bulb is called a strobe and you can find them in a photo supply store. For an even and homogenous lighting situation, you will also need a softbox.

A softbox is a fabric tent with one white opaque panel which is placed in front of the bulb. When the shutter on the camera goes off, so does the flash. The flash with a softbox works like natural light with an added bonus; you can use it at any time of day and get the same results.

Using a softbox might also need a white reflector like a board or poster paper to soften the shadows. You can find white reflective surfaces in the photo supply stores. A white wall or white sheet also works.

Conclusion

Have you been creating flat lays in your own Instagram account or for your products? We don’t think the trend is going away in time soon. In fact, it might transform into new styles and color effects. How do you illuminate your flat lay setups? Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know in the comments!