Flatlay Fever

Flatlays are the ultimate must-have accessories to every modern-day blogger's Instagram feed. A well placed and professional layout of products - flatlays are the latest strategic marketing tool being used by bloggers and fashion companies alike to subtly promote their product to a wide spread social media audience. If you're an aspiring fashion creative looking to break into this tough industry, having the ability to produce a high-quality flatlay is a great attribute to have and adds one more element to your resume to help you get noticed.

Because of the rising popularity of flatlays (and because I consider myself pretty alright at producing a decent flatlay) I thought it would be a great time for me to share my tips and trick on how to create an eye-catching and professional fashion flatlay.

Life of A Top Model                            Whats In My Makeup Bag                           Shop Til You Drop

USE NATURAL LIGHTING

My first tip is to always use natural light. Natural light is the most flattering you can capture therefore is the most complimentary to produce a good photo. Personally I take my images on the ground in front of a big window but you could shoot on a table, your bed, anywhere as long as its stable and close to a large amount of natural light. I've found you get the best images when you shoot mid-morning or in the middle of the day as this is when the light is at its brightest. Understandably though, us busy fashionistas are constantly working and it can be difficult to find a time, during daylight, to shoot an array of flatlay photos. My suggestion for overcoming this is to dedicate some time on the weekend to put together your images. For example spend your Sunday morning shooting 3-4 flatlays, bank them up on your phone and your Instagram feed is sweet for the next week.

ALWAYS HAVE A WHITE BACKGROUND

If you are really looking to capture a professional and high-end aesthetic in your flatlays its crucial to use a white background. Using white allows the focus to be solely on your products and your well thought out placement. It ensures the products and their labels aren't washed out by a background of similar colours and captures the true shapes of the products used. White also creates a flattering contrast and allows the vibrancy of your products to shine. To create a white background use a piece of white cardboard, a white bedspread, sheets or if you're lucky enough to have access to a studio you could use a studio paper roll.

Alexander McQueen                                                                          Summer Essentials

         MBFWA                                              Urban Decay Launch                               Electrify Mag Launch

CREATE A THEME/MOOD

Creating a mood or theme for your flatlay gives you a concept or idea to work with when compiling products to feature in your flatlay. A theme could be anything from "current fashion favourites" or "Mercedes Benz Fashion Week" to "fitness" or "travel". It can be broad or it can be extremely niche, its entirely up to you, as long as you have an idea to work with you will be able to find and put together an array of products that compliment each other. It is important to keep in mind that you don't have to strictly use products that instantly scream the words of your theme. Be creative and think outside of the box - using products that still have a slight attachment to the key words but are not something you would instantly think of. For example when putting together a flatlay for "fitness" you don't necessarily have to include a plate of salad or a photo of your gym membership. Think beyond these generic items and include your new pair of Nikes, your workout gear or magazine images of fitness gurus who are your ultimate inspiration.

SHOWCASE AN ARRAY OF PRODUCTS

Flatlays aren't all about fashion or beauty products, its an opportunity to share your all-time favourite purchases or products of the moment with your viewers and showcase a variety of different brands. Its important to use an array of items to create a mood and showcase your personality through your images. You can use anything you like in your flatlays from clothing to beauty items, accessories, food, travel items etc. The key is that you place the items you choose strategically and use the products to tell a story. To add depth and personality to your image its important to place your products in different and intriguing ways. For example some bloggers strictly place their products symmetrically and in-line with each other while others will always have their products on a diagonal. Personally I like to use a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical lines to place my products and create interest at a number of different points throughout the image.

CAPTURE WITH A GOOD CAMERA

Using a good camera is a crucial element in capturing a professional flatlay image. Taking your photos with a clear and advanced camera will enhance the quality and resolution of your images as well as allow the true colours and shapes of your featured products to shine through. Personally the term "good camera" I consider as either a professional DSLR such as a Nikon of Canon or the camera in-built to one of the latest models of a smart phone e.g the iPhone 6 or the latest Samsung. Its also important to note that you should never use flash. In the past I have only found flash to create more shadows to your flatlays and take away the raw and natural element we create with natural light.

              Purple Day                                                                             Breast Cancer Awareness

TAKE TIME TO EDIT IMAGES

 Lastly but probably the most importantly it is essential to edit your flatlay photos before upload. Editing flatlays should only be used to enhance the colour and light captured during your shoot and intensify the quality of the image. I also use this editing time to crop my photos. Personally I think flatlays are the most flattering when cropped to a square as it allows the whole image to be filled with product and the labels to be read clearly. It also increases the professionalism of the image. You can achieve a square flatlay by either cropping the photo taken with your DSLR camera or you could simply take a square image of your flatlay with your smart phone. When editing the elements of a flatlay I always like to enhance the contrast and brightness to create the illusion the background is a very stark white and sometimes, depending on the image,  I will enhance the saturation and sharpness to emphasise the vibrancy of colours and reveal the true and raw shapes of the featured products.

High Fashion: Fashion Flatlays - all images used are my own.

So there you have it, those are my top tips and tricks to producing a professional and high-quality fashion flatlay. Getting it right the first time can be a little tricky and sometimes frustrating when the images don't come out how you want them to, but just take your time and strategically edit and the final product will come together. 

For more fashion flatlay inspo head over to Instagram and follow @flatlaystyle and @flatlays for some amazingly creative images.

fashion obsessions

Lately I have been looking for new and innovative ways to freshen up my grungy,  leather, black and plaid based style. I was getting bored with the copious amounts of dark, bikie clothing and button-ups to tie around my waist and I was looking for elements that would keep my style unique and colourful whilst still edgy all at the same time. That's when I discovered my latest fashion obsession: 

bohemian grunge. 

A classic combination between soft, flowy shapes and hard, edgy textures and shades, I love the style because its alternate and care -free. Its a style that truly reflects my maturing self and exudes strong confidence and self assurance. A style that fills my life with joy and keeps me consistently happy and inspired.

 My Instagram feed is filled with a mix of enthusiasts who (just like me) love everything bohemian and/or grunge. They keep me in the loop with all the new and improved trends and elements of these styles on a daily basis and force me to stay motivated.  Some of my main inspirations are Youtubers Cartia Mallan and Karissa Pukas who both have impeccable personal style. Cartia is a free-spirited kitty from Brisbane and I absolutely adore her. She's always putting together fresh bohemian outfits and showcasing the latest trends. She's a huge driving force behind my bohemian traits and I always end up wanting to hunt down or replicate at least one element from her outfit creations. Karissa on the other-hand is a little more badass and brings out the darker side in me. Her grungier style mixed with bohemian accessories and breath-taking prints is a closer example of what my style has begun to evolve into. I'm constantly inspired by her cool and edgy creations and her ability to mix elements from both trends together to put bring to life outfits that always look effortlessly cool.

My biggest celebrity influence is without a doubt Kylie Jenner. In my eyes, she can do no wrong and her ultimate grunge perfection is the driving force behind the harder, more in-depth elements of my style.  I've also been obsessing over fashion sites Shantique Designs and Gypsy Warrior who both produce incredible look books showcasing respectively bohemian and grunge trends and produce aesthetics that are alternate, edgy and super cool. 

I'm literally so obsessed with this trend and can't help but share some photos of inspiration.

Let your mind run wild with the salty air in your hair and wet sand between your toes. 

Be young, be free and dream.