I prefer to take most of my photos on a flat surface because it’s easier when I’m taking the photos myself. I have a very small business without a large profit margin, so I don’t have much room in the budget to hire a photographer to help me. When you take photos on a flat surface, that leaves your hands free to actually hold the camera.
There are a few tricks to making a photo on a flat surface more visually interesting. If you’ve ever tried to lay out a photo with a bunch of props in it, but it just looked like a bunch of props dumped into a photo, this is the post for you.
Start With a Simple, Smooth Background
You can use a table top, your floor, your desk, a patio in your backyard, a large piece of cardboard spread out somewhere, or whatever you have on hand. That’s because the flat surface will give you more control over the placement of your objects. It’ll also help give a smooth, firm foundation to your image. You also need to make sure that the background is simple. While it doesn’t have to be a completely solid color, it should be something that doesn’t distract too much from your knitting.
You need at least three layers. That’s because if you just have your large flat surface and then all your small props scattered around on it, the small props won’t feel connected to each other. You’ll often see my photographs using doilies or antique botanical prints to fill in part of the background. These create an additional visual layer that helps concentrate the eye instead of letting the eye wander evenly across the entire photo. It also connects the various props to each other so their placement looks intentional.
When I layer in props, I try to make sure to have a mix between hard and soft, shiny and dull, smooth and rough, and so on. I do a lot of my photos on my countertop, which is polished stone. As a result, I like to layer in softer accessories. I use paper or books, which are non-reflective. I also use soft flowers and textiles to balance out the hardness of the stone. More colorful props balance out the whiteness of the stone background. Having a mix of textures in your photos will help give more visual interest.
Use Multiple Categories of Props
Mine tend to fall into several different categories. I use teacups and related dishware, antique textiles, vintage paper ephemera and books, flowers from my garden, and, of course, my knitting. It helps to have at least three different categories of props. Your props can do double duty for a better flatlay. For example, the antique textiles in my photograph also serve as a visual layer to add some depth to the photograph.
The human brain loves odd numbers in visuals. That’s part of why I recommend using at least three categories of props. Beyond that, though, you should use your props and layers in odd numbers, too. This isn’t a hard and fast rule - you’ll often see me using two books or two clusters of flowers. Until you get comfortable breaking the rules, though, it’s worth trying to stick with the safer arrangement strategy.