Flatlay Photography is such a great way to showcase what you sell. It really lets you tell a story by using complimentary products to highlight yours. I’ve been Flatlay’ing for a long time now, I even teach workshops and online courses on this form of photography.

I get asked all the time how I style Flatlay’s, so I thought I would put together a little guide of the top 15 products to help make your Flatlays shine!

ONE // Fresh flowers

Fresh blooms can lift any photo. Imagine the way fresh flowers in your home make you feel… It’s the same feeling in Flatlay!

TWO // Linen + Fabric

Linen or textured fabric is a great base piece for styling your Flatlay. If you have a product you wish to showcase, and don’t want to use other brands products in your flatlay’s, linen/fabric is a great option.

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THREE // Ceramic tableware + unique cutlery

Ceramic tableware will never date, and is such beautiful option to use in your styling. Like fabric, it is a great base piece if you don’t want to use other brands to tell your products story.

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FOUR // Glasses (Specs or Sunnies)

Reading glasses and sunglasses are a great way to add a ‘cool’ vibe to your styling. Most people have one of the two floating around, and it’s such an easy add-on to include.

FIVE // Magazines

Fashion, homewares + lifestyle magazines… The possibilities are endless. You could find a page that matches your branding colours OR you could find an article that is complimentary to the story you are trying to tell!

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SIX // Notebooks + Stationery

Notebooks and stationery are an inexpensive way to bulk up your flatlays, and they are quite versatile in that they will suit many different products. They can be added in as a hero, or fade into the background.

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SEVEN // Laptop + Phone

I mean, we all use our phones right? And if you have a laptop, that is a great addition too. Any office related flatlays you need to create – These are a must!

EIGHT // Coffee + Tea

Adding in actual tea or coffee is a great way to personalise any flatlay. It shows a human element and can fit into so many genre’s. (Note: don’t ever flatlay with an empty cup – It’s an unspoken flatlay law, ha!)

NINE // Makeup

Makeup is such an easy ‘filler’… If you have any gaps in your flatlay. Go and grab a lipstick or mascara to beef up your Flatlay.

TEN // Hair Accessories

If you’re like me, and scrunchie obsessed… I’ve found that I can now justify all my scrunchie purchases now as they can be used in so many genre’s of flatlay! A cheap and easy way to fill in negative space if needed.

ELEVEN // Camera

I mean, I’m probably a bit bias. But I love using my old camera collection in my flatlays. It shows off who I am and what I do. But they are quite versatile as well, and can add a rad vibe to your flatlay.

TWELVE // Woven shopping bag

I love a woven shopping bag! It’s such a beautiful way to display what you are trying to sell. You can display your other products as though you’ve thrown you bag on the table and they are all spilling out.

THIRTEEN // White sheets

White sheets are the perfect base if you can’t find anything else. Make the most of that morning sun bursting through your windows, scrunch up your sheets and walah!

FOURTEEN // Confetti

It’s a b**tard to clean up, but it shouts ‘celebration’ like nothing else!!

FIFTEEN // Pens + Pencils

An affordable ‘filler’ for any flatlay. You can find pens/pencils in your branding colours, or you can use them to compliement the story you are creating.

BONUS: Hands //

If you can’t manage to take the photo AND get your own limbs in there, ask a friend. It adds a human touch to the image and makes it so much more powerful.

So there you have it, my top 15 products to help you style your Flatlays. To learn more about how to actually photograph flatlay’s (using nothing but your phone and natural lighting), check out my online course “Flatlay the LLP way” here.

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