Flat lay product images are a treat to an eye – customers’ eyes included – which have a direct connection to customers’ purchasing intent, as any savvy entrepreneur knows.

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With over a decade of experience in ecommerce product photography, takin quality commercial imagery in New York and Los Angeles for over 2,500 brands, Squareshot is delighted to reveal some insider tips on how to make a great flat lay photography that sells.

WHAT IS FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY?

FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY IS A TYPE OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY WHEREBY OBJECTS OF THE PHOTO SESSION ARE PLACED ON THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE, LIKE A TABLE OR A FLOOR, AND SHOT FROM ABOVE. THESE IMAGES ARE MOSTLY EXECUTED IN STUDIOS WITH PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING AND SPECIFIC FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY SETUP.

This method is widely used in social media visual content plans, in the creation of food photography, jewelry, fashion and cosmetics images.

It's just to say that all smaller objects are subject to this type of commercial photoshoot sooner or later.

When it comes to alternative methods of item positioning, professionals also distinguish the ghost mannequin, hanged/pinned and on-model techniques. Let's quickly run through them for a better understanding of the flat lay images characteristics.

TYPES OF APPAREL PHOTOGRAPHY

• Flat Lay Clothing Photography [items are placed on a horizontal flat surface and shot from above]

• Ghost Mannequin [an item is on a mannequin, which allows for a better understanding of how a garment will fit]

• Hanged / Pinned [this technique is often used to shoot accessories and jewelry, where an object is dangling in the air – for example, a bag or a necklace. In the same way, you can take a picture of clothes, just pin it to the foam core]

• On-Model Shots [lifestyle images and model images impart lots of mood and life into an item you are trying to sell – provided a model is a good fit for the product of course]

Depending on how an item is placed in front of the camera, the application of such an image gets more defined and limited at the same time. For example, ghost mannequin images are popular on marketplaces, where you need to breathe in a 3D effect to close the gap between online and offline, — as well as stand out from hundreds of other merchants selling the same shirts. On-model shots are great for advertising and catalogs. Flat lay clothing photography is probably the most versatile of them all, often used for social media [especially with eye-catching props], online stores, as well as offline advertising creatives.

10 FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY IDEAS & TIPS FROM SEASONED PHOTO STUDIO PROS IN NY AND LA

1. TETHER SHOOTING AND CAMERA SETUP

Most of the professional product photography studios will operate a flat lay shoot when their camera is tethered to a computer – so they can see the images on the bigger screen right away.

A tether cord needs to have the respective connections that fit both your computer and your camera settings on opposite ends. There are software programs that enable this mode of the shoot. For example, Lightroom has this feature for those who are not looking to master yet another software product.

Why shoot tethered?

1. To have a better understanding of the quality of the image right away on a bigger screen and introduce required changes.
2. To show the images to any people on the site with you – client model, colleagues, MUA, etc.
3. To speed up processing and uploading.
   

But what's most important in this type of shooting is arranging the flat lay photography setup.

There are a few ways how you can approach this mission, the most common ones will include a sturdy heavy-duty C stand with a sandbag for stability and a combo of a tripod and an arm like Manfrotto 131DB, that can also be stabilized with sandbags if needed. For a full list of professional photo equipment, that we use please see the respective paragraph below.

2. LIGHTING FOR FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY AND COLOR PASSPORT USAGE

You can use natural light source or professional photo studio equipment. The main mission is to have your product well-lit so that every detail is available for inspection.

Well-lit objects will also require minimal photo editing in the post-editing stage, which can be really expensive and time-consuming.

If you choose to shoot with the natural light, these insights may help:

• Use chiffon or cloth taped to the window to soften the light on a sunny day.
• Use reflector cards to soften or minimize sharp shadows.
• If a professional softbox is available, placing it at an angle may produce a nice effect, whereby light is dispersed in graduation.

If a client provides a reference image, try to set up your lighting to replicate that. Resulting exposition is vital when setting up flat-lay product photography lighting. To ensure the image is not overexposed or underexposed, it's good to make 2 test images. The first image of the darkest item in the series needs to be taken with a color passport showing a grey card and the second test image is for the lightest item with a color passport showing a spread with a color bar. This way, you may achieve better results at the very beginning, so there is no need to reshoot afterwards.

3. FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT FOR HIGH-QUALITY RESULTS

This is a good starter pack of equipment for professional flat lay product photography, but you can certainly find cheaper as well as more expensive alternatives, even available for beginners.

• Flat lay table ~ $500
• Godox DP400II Flash Head ~ $180
• Canon EOS Rebel T7i DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens and Accessory Kit ~ $800
• Vello EW-73D Dedicated Lens Hood ~ $13
• Canon ACK-E10 AC Adapter and DC Coupler Kit ~ $80
• Godox XProC TTL Wireless Flash Trigger ~ $70
• Impact Super Clamp with Ratchet Handle ~ $20
• Oben BA-106A Single Lever Ball Head ~ $40
• Impact ME-122P Single Background Holder Hooks for Super Clamps (2-Pack) ~ $10
• Impact Varidrive with Black Chain ~ $39
• Avenger E250 Long Double 5/8" Baby Pin ~ $6
• 20 Foot USB cable ~ $9
• Savage Widetone Seamless Background Paper (#01 Super White, 86" x 36') ~ $54

It’s good to know, that the majority of articles and reviews covering the topic of flat lay photography equipment or necessary apps will be created by affiliated marketers, who get a cut of every sale. Not to say that such authors are solely driven by placing the most expensive brands first to get a bigger cut, but there might be a bit of bias lurking in such articles. Squareshot chooses not to insert any affiliate links, but focuses on what we do best - deliver professional product photos to ecommerce players with ambition and vision.

4. PREPARATION OF THE PRODUCT: CLEAN, CREASELESS, AND SPOTLESS

Just a kind reminder for all the talents just starting out and doing your first DIY flat lay product photography clothing session: the speckless item means less time consuming retouching.

If you are hiring a studio, in most cases your items will be brought to a near perfect state before shooting with a microfiber cloth, lint roller, or compressed gas duster. Needless to say, the clothes will be freshly-ironed and creaseless (if that's the look you are going for), while jewelry pieces handled in gloves to avoid fingerprints.

5. SHOOTING ANGLES FOR FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICE

When it comes to positioning your items for a shoot, whose results will be served on one of those big platforms like Amazon and Shopify, you definitely need 3 to 5 angles on a white background to start with and assortment can go up to 10 for premium items or one-product landing pages.

Below are the examples of the angles we recommend to our clients with images for better illustration:

• Front (full-sized)
• Back (full-sized)
• ¾ camera angle (accentuating a collar & brand tag)
• Shot of a detail or texture

If you choose to go for an angle other than 90 degrees, it’s good to double-check how your flat lay clothing photography setup stacks up to the concept. What are you getting in terms of flat lay background? Do you have some glaring or flash reflecting (with a diffuser) in a different way? Is the lighting OK or do you need to adjust it for a 3/4th angled shot?

6. SYMMETRY

When we work in our flat lay photography studios in New York and Los Angeles, we always pay extra attention to the positioning of all of the symmetrically-designed objects symmetrically. We can even use a ruler to ensure the distance from the rightest line of the photographed garment is exactly the same as the opposite distance on the left. Also, a great example when we talk about symmetry is a rule of thirds. It is a compositional guideline in photography that involves dividing the image into nine equal parts by using two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. By placing the subject of the photograph along these lines or at their intersections, the composition becomes more balanced and visually appealing. This technique leads to more dynamic and interesting photos.

Not only do these points reduce post-production time, but it also provides the overall feeling of harmony and balance, which absence may subconsciously scare a perfectionist away without even realizing the reason for the urge to bounce.

7. APPROACHING THE SHADOW-Y MATTERS

Flat lay ecommerce photography standards are rather strict on global marketplaces, but if you are shooting for a personal website, there can be different shadow requirements in the technical specification:

To ensure drop shadow, go for a side lighting. However, be mindful that in contrast to a top light, the side light will accentuate all creases and imperfections giving them more volume and creating additional shadows. Alternatively, if you have a good retouching specialist / team, you may shoot your products with a top light and then add shadows digitally.

Often, we'll get requests for a creaseless styling and look of the items, but a hard shadow that's usually achieved with a side light. In such cases, we'll actually shoot two different images instead of one. The first one with a top light to create the desired look of the apparel. The second to create a realistic shadow. Once both images are ready, they will be combined to deliver on the creative preference.

8. MIND YOUR HORIZON LEVEL

It’s the best practice in flat lay product photography to keep an object and a camera in a plane.

The other pro trick that helps to ensure a perfect shot is to always use a level to make sure the table for shooting and the camera are both 95% in a horizontal position. Naturally, if you have a tripod with a level – this is the best model for this type of job.

9. TECHNICAL STANDARDS OF AN IMAGE

These are some of the fundamental technical standards to keep in mind when shooting your products laid horizontally for your ecommerce projects.

1. The image needs to be in focus, sharp, and not blurred under 100% increase.
2. The background behind an object is as white as it gets.
3. The image is neither overexposed or underexposed. 
4. The image takes over 80% of the frame.
5. The shadow of the product is not cut off.
6. If the product has shiny text or any other shiny parts it should be visible. 

10. AESTHETIC STANDARDS OF AN IMAGE

As for the aesthetics, there can be quite a bit of creativity in the flat lays, but if you are on a mission to create photography for the ecommerce to cause visual interest, these are our recommendations to be aware of:

1. The angles of shooting must match angles in the client order form or reference images.
2. Keep the right perspective. Use the appropriate camera lens and focal distance from 35 to 90mm.
3. Maintain the right composition of the frame and proper framing. 
4. An object must be clean, without dust, dirt, or marks.
5. Avoid unnecessary reflections or saturation, like that of a photographer or studio furniture.
6. The image reflects the actual color of the product.

FLAT LAY PHOTOGRAPHY PRICING

While clothing flat lay photography is no rocket science, the resulting images can make it or break it for your sales.

If your small business and its sales have a few zeros to them, consider hiring a professional photo studio to perform such jobs. Not only it may cost you less at the end of the day, but the results are also likely to bring better sales and allow your team to focus on building out the brand.

When it comes to the rates for the flat lay photos, they range across the poster board and will depend on these factors among many:

• Bulk vs single product shot
• Group vs individual shot
• Delivery & postage charges
• Location: country / state / city
• Level of professionalism & expertise 
  

Squareshot has near a decade of experience shooting flat lays for brands such as Rh-ude, Whoop, Knickerbocker, and many more. Our ecommerce photography pricing starts $50 per image with additional memberships available to make creating product shots from your brand even more cost-effective.

FOOTNOTE

While it may take a few hours or days for you to take exactly the lay photographs you are not ashamed of posting to your web or social media, photography is an enjoyable process.

If you need flat lay product photography clothing services but don’t feel like experimenting with all the lighting, camera settings, equipment, and styling – delegate it, so none of the aspects are compromised and your designs hit the market well represented.