Matrix Blog
How To Take An Instagram-Worthy Flat Lay
The classic product flat lay has taken social media by storm. A quick, simple and effective way of showcasing your favourite products, it is no surprise that #Flatlay has over 4 million hits on Instagram.
It is a great way to showcase what products you are promoting in-salon and are passionate about. So here are our top tips to creating that perfect Insta-worthy flat lay.
What you will need;
1) Good quality DLSR Camera or phone
- As you are shooting close up, you want a camera that will create high resolution images, so you can see any text on the products. However, if this isn’t possible then modern camera phones have been developed to have great cameras too.
2) Your products
- Think about which products you would like to tell a story about. Are you totally obsessed with Total Results, a Biolage R.A.W. naturalist, or a Re-bond fanatic? Perhaps you have a promotion you can talk about or there is a special occasion coming up, such as the summer season.
3) Engaging background
When choosing a background there are important aspects to consider such as:
- Does the colour of the background compliment the products?
- Can the background reflect or tell a story about the product? For example, a Biolage R.A.W. product flat lay will work well with a nature inspired background.
- Will the surface of the background reflect you or the camera flash when taking the shot?
4) Good lighting
We always recommend to get compact studio lighting (such as ring lights/small camera lights) but if you really don’t want to commit to this straight away – try taking the picture during the day and near natural light.
Optional: Use other objects to add into your shot to make it more interesting to look at. There is nothing wrong with keeping a flat lay simple and classic, however sometimes it can help build a story around it, such as the ingredients or hair type.
Step 1 – Plan & Prep
First you need to plan what you are shooting and arrange your products. When you take a photograph, you have to tell a story. This requires a lot of preparation and planning to guarantee you will get your message across.
Top tip: A good place to start is by looking at either what the product does, or what ingredients are in the products formulation. For example, add colourful sweets or marbles into a colour care product’s flat lay
Step 2 – Arrange and then re-arrange
Arrange your products and then step away and look at how all your objects, background and products look together.
The easiest way to arrange products are by using the ‘Rule of thirds’ and imagine a grid on top of your photo (you can even set your camera to do this in the settings). The concept is that you should align your background in the top or middle sections and then allow your eye to naturally move along the lines to the main subject - which should sit on the third line and intersection.
Please note: Rules are there to be broken – test and get creative with the composition, a good layout won’t be a quick thing
Step 3 – Snap that pic, upload & edit
Once you have found your favourite composition shoot and shoot some more! Test and try out different angles/lighting and take lots of shots. After all, you most likely take fifty selfies before you choose the perfect one.
Once you have filled up your memory card, upload and edit! Editing is just as important and a flat lay isn’t perfected until contrast, brightness and cropping have been considered.
Step 4 – Upload and tag
Finally, upload and promote your products across your social media. We love to see people getting creative with our Matrix products – we may even repost it and tag you in return!
We hope to see lots of beautiful flat lays appearing on our social media pages and don’t forget to tag us using @MatrixUK and try out our flat lay top tips.
-
The classic product flat lay has taken social media by storm. A quick, simple and effective way of showcasing your favourite products, it is no surprise that #Flatlay has over 4 million hits on Instagram.
-
It is a great way to showcase what products you are promoting in-salon and are passionate about. So here are our top tips to creating that perfect Insta-worthy flat lay.
What you will need;
1) Good quality DLSR Camera or phone
- As you are shooting close up, you want a camera that will create high resolution images, so you can see any text on the products. However, if this isn’t possible then modern camera phones have been developed to have great cameras too.
2) Your products
- Think about which products you would like to tell a story about. Are you totally obsessed with Total Results, a Biolage R.A.W. naturalist, or a Re-bond fanatic? Perhaps you have a promotion you can talk about or there is a special occasion coming up, such as the summer season.
3) Engaging background
When choosing a background there are important aspects to consider such as:
- Does the colour of the background compliment the products?
- Can the background reflect or tell a story about the product? For example, a Biolage R.A.W. product flat lay will work well with a nature inspired background.
- Will the surface of the background reflect you or the camera flash when taking the shot?
4) Good lighting
We always recommend to get compact studio lighting (such as ring lights/small camera lights) but if you really don’t want to commit to this straight away – try taking the picture during the day and near natural light.
Optional: Use other objects to add into your shot to make it more interesting to look at. There is nothing wrong with keeping a flat lay simple and classic, however sometimes it can help build a story around it, such as the ingredients or hair type.
Step 1 – Plan & Prep
First you need to plan what you are shooting and arrange your products. When you take a photograph, you have to tell a story. This requires a lot of preparation and planning to guarantee you will get your message across.
Top tip: A good place to start is by looking at either what the product does, or what ingredients are in the products formulation. For example, add colourful sweets or marbles into a colour care product’s flat lay
Step 2 – Arrange and then re-arrange
Arrange your products and then step away and look at how all your objects, background and products look together.
The easiest way to arrange products are by using the ‘Rule of thirds’ and imagine a grid on top of your photo (you can even set your camera to do this in the settings). The concept is that you should align your background in the top or middle sections and then allow your eye to naturally move along the lines to the main subject - which should sit on the third line and intersection.
Please note: Rules are there to be broken – test and get creative with the composition, a good layout won’t be a quick thing
Step 3 – Snap that pic, upload & edit
Once you have found your favourite composition shoot and shoot some more! Test and try out different angles/lighting and take lots of shots. After all, you most likely take fifty selfies before you choose the perfect one.
Once you have filled up your memory card, upload and edit! Editing is just as important and a flat lay isn’t perfected until contrast, brightness and cropping have been considered.
Step 4 – Upload and tag
Finally, upload and promote your products across your social media. We love to see people getting creative with our Matrix products – we may even repost it and tag you in return!
We hope to see lots of beautiful flat lays appearing on our social media pages and don’t forget to tag us using @MatrixUK and try out our flat lay top tips.
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