I love working on my flat lay photos as they bring a lot of creativity out of me. Whenever I want to make my photo simple but yet relatable to everyday life, I tend to use items around me to create backdrops for my flat lays.

1. 

White Table Top

This is the basic and the one must have item for almost everyone who enjoys taking flat lay photos. It’s easy to incorporate, and won’t steal the scene of your main products.   

2. 

Bedsheet

I love using white bedsheets for all kinds of flat lays. It doesn’t need to be covering your bed though but it can still replicate the “on my bed” mood. 

3. 

Blanket

This might sound weird to say that I recommend you to use your blanket as a backdrop. But it’s not weird to me as I use it often in my photoshoots. It is a perfect item to use, if you’re planning to take a photo that needs a lot of empty space. It will also be good if you need a backdrop thats big enough to fit all of your props. 

4. 

Magazine

I love using magazines as they already have pretty designs or pretty faces on them. This is a great backdrop for an effortless style.   

5. 

Couch/ Chair

I took a picture on my couch and talked about flat lay tips on my previous post, “One Rule To Achieving A Prettier Flat Lay“. You can see here as well that I use my couch as a backdrop for different products I’m shooting. Give your couch or chair a try, as you will see that this furniture pice would do a great job as a flat lay backdrop.   

6. 

Marble Top

I love marble but it’s very expensive to buy a big marble table if you don’t have one already. You can use contact paper with a marble design instead. It comes in a lot of patterns and colors. I found mine on Amazon.  

7. 

Cutting Board

I love using cutting boards as my backdrop when I have to create content around food ingredients and nature focused photos. I got my cutting board from Bed Bath & Beyond.  

8. 

Wrapping Paper

This is a good choice when it comes to the holiday season or DIY project photos. They come in many different designs which you can find the one that matches your overall photo theme. 

9. 

Interesting Texture

Find interesting textures around you. For example, faux fur, fluffy sweaters, straw bags, lace fabrics, and more. They will help with the depth of the photo.   

Share with mE:

What do you like to use as a backdrop for your flat lays?

My favorite rule I use to achieve a prettier flat lay is “The Rule of Similarity”.

No, this is not a geometric rule about the two geometrical objects that both have the same shape, or one has the same shape as the mirror image of the other. But this is the rule I invented for my flat lay photography. It’s Molly’s Rule! Lol! ? But I’m happy to share how I use this rule with you today. Pretty much this Rule is to pick similar main objects and props to use in your photo.

This is the one rule I use all the time when it comes to taking flat lay photos. Either the similar pattern of objects, the similar colors, color schemes that create an aesthetic feeling to the photo, similar shape, feel, and many more. Nothing too complicated. If they look similar, that’s all that matters. For me personally, I’d normally pick and play with similar colors and similar patterns in my photoshoot session.

For example, this flat lay photo above, I took on my couch, using my iPhone to take it as the iPhone comes in handy with the camera grid tool that helps guide with spaces and straightening of the photo. As well as it’s very easy to use and control when working in a small space.

As for my photoshoot steps, I follow my flat lay planning process, (you can download it here), got the couch as my background, and picked pink and red as my main colors. The purpose of this flat lay is to share my current favorite items, bag, cami dress, slingback heels, hair clips, summer perfume, and my new couch.

I didn’t have a single main product I wanted to highlight so I gave all of them equal attention but still applied the rule of thirds to this photo, where my bigger objects are at the bottom of the photo.

As you can see that the majority of items in this photo are pink & red and are leopard prints. These are the rules of similarity I applied here.

The last step before the finished photo, I edited it with my Lightroom preset I created to help adjust the mood of the photo.

In conclusion, by using the rule of similarity to pick your objects and props will help make your photo look more interesting, prettier and can strongly showcase its character and story behind your flat lay photo.

Thank you for stopping by All About Good Vibes today. See you next week for more #FlatLayFriday tips.

Share with mE:

What is one tip you use to make your photos prettier?