Learn to create eye-catching flat lays that will be sure to wow your clients and grab the attention

of an editor with internationally acclaimed wedding and fashion photographer, Rebecca Yale.

Rebecca was awarded Rangefinder Magazine’s Grand Prize in Wedding Photography in 2017

and first place in the details category in 2015 and 2016. She photographed the 2017 Knot Dream

Wedding and has been featured in 50+ publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides

Magazine, The Knot, People Magazine, Grace Ormonde, Style Me Pretty, Flutter Magazine,

Magnolia Rouge, Destination I Do and many more! Rebecca was named one of the Top 10

Globetrotter Photographers in the World by Destination Weddings Magazine UK in 2016 and one

of the Top 10 Photographers to Know in New York City by Brides Magazine in 2015.

Read her 10 easy to follow tips to transform your flat lays!

 Ten Tips for
Flawless Flat Lays
1) Shoot in natural light

2) Add dimension

3) Think about color

4) Make it personal

5) Composition! Composition! Composition!

6) Create an S shape

7) Fill the frame

8) Don’t “paper plop”

9) Style Vertically

10) Get closer

 1)Shoot inNatural Light
Shooting in natural light with a strong directional light source will transform your work. Shooting

with artficial overhead lights will cast tints and shadows on your work and could change the colors of

your image. By shooting in natural light you’ll guarantee accurate and vibrant colors. Shooting wih a

directional light source (like a window to the side of the subject) rather than overhead light (like shooting

outside in the sun) gives your image more depth and more shadow, which means more dimension.
 2) Add Dimension
Using risers to lift paper goods onto multiple levels is a game changer in flat lay photography! This

allows you to layer items under one another and creates a feeling of depth and dimension in the image.

A flat lay is by definition an over head “flat” shot, but by creating layers and shadows you’re adding

visual interest to the image, which keeps a viewers eye more engaged.
 3) Think About Color
Choosing how and where to use color in your frame can transform it. The detail photos set the scene for

the wedding day and should follow the same color story. Think about the color of what surface you want

to shoot against and what props or flowers you want to pull in and how it will change the mood or tone

of the image. Use color purposefully and make it feel balanced. If you have a bright spot of color the

eye will be drawn towards it so make sure you’re doing it purposefully!

 4) Make it Personal
Use styling elements in the frame that are personal to your couple. This creates emotional depth to your

image and because emotions are universal, the more personal you make it, the more it will universally

resonate. This image from the 2017 Knot Dream Wedding was one of the most viral images of the day

and was shared hundreds of thousands of times and appeared online and in print in Us Weekly, People

Magazine and The Knot. The brides’ beloved dogs couldn’t be there on the wedding day so the planner

Jove Meyer had cookies made of them as wedding favors. The wedding decor featured an abundance of

greenery dotted with white roses and touches of gold so I styled them on a gold tray and brought in the

greenery and white flowers to set the tone for the rest of the wedding day photographs.
5) Compostiion! Composition! Compostion!
In flat lay photography, composition is everything! When shooting something flat you are simplifying

it to its most basic shape. For a succesful flat lay you want to put those shapes in a composition that is

pleasing to the eye by following the basic rules of composition including the rule of thirds, balance, the

rule of odds, and using diagonals and triangles to lead your viewer’s eye. A successful flat lay image

should take your viewer on a journey through the image, passing through all the elements without getting

stuck in a sharp corner, trapped dead space or frenzied chaos. This simple design creates a triangle in the

image with three dominant leading lines coming from the apex at the handle of the fork in the bottom

left leading up to the top right corner. The one tart on the bottom vs two tarts is a classic rule of 3 giving

the image balance without perfect symmetry and the foliage/flowers on either side acts in the same way

mimicking the colors of each dessert. Simple? Yes. Intentional? Absolutely.

6) Create an S
“ ” Shape
Diagonals can be great tools in styling paper goods and multiple round objects (like the desserts on the

last page), but a strong swooshing “S” shape can also create a dynamic composition that our eye loves

to look at! By posing the shoes in an S the eye is forced to travel from one shoe to another in a pleasing

way without getting stuck or lost in another part of the frame. Shoes tend to look better heels out toes in

and right side up so you don’t throw your viewer off balance with their eye.
 7) Fill the Frame
White space is a valuable tool and can be vital when shooting for a commercial client or a magazine that

needs room for text, but if you’re not shooting for text you want to use your empty space purposefully.

Make sure you’re not trapping your viewers eye in empty space. The eucalyptus and 3 white flowers on

the left of the frame fill the space and give the image balance in both color and composition.
 8) Don’t Paper Plop
A single sheet of paper by itself with no adornment isn’t going to look pleasing to our eye, and honestly

what’s the point in taking a photo of it? The client knows what their invite looks like, so your photo

doesn’t add to the narrative of the day. We should create stories with our images. I framed the Save The

Date using greenery and blooms from the wedding as well as a wax seal with the custom drawing of the

venue and the inn’s vintage room key. These items set the scene and establish what’s to come next.
 9)Style Vertically
Unless you’re specifically shooting for a stationery designer vertical images tend to do better. Most

magazines and e-publications prefer vertical images as they are easier to storyboard and diptych together.

They’re great tools for you to use in your couples albums and your own blogs as B-Roll combined with

portraits or scenery photographs throughout the day. Vertical photographs also take up more real estate

on instagram and on average recieve 30-40% more likes than square or horizontal images.
 10) Get Closer
When shooting a small detail like a ring you want to show it off to its highest potential. I often use rings

as styling tools in an invitation, but when it comes to a photo of the ring itself, I always use a Macro

filter and get in close. I want to see the facets of the stone and the detail in the band. I use all the same

rules as the 9 previous tips and often bring the styling items closer in to the ring so they fill the frame in

a captivating way. When you’re up close & personal think about the most flattering angle for the item

you’re shooting. The visual interest for an engagement ring is usually the stone, so it’s shown best in a

ring box or positioned upwards. Pro tip- a smaller box makes the ring appear bigger!
If you’ve enjoyed reading these and are ready to take the next step in creating heart-stopping,

eye-catching and memborable imagery stay tuned for my new e-course all about detail flat lay

styling. I will go in depth in over 100 flat lay images with behind the scenes video footage

of exactly how I created them and I’ll explain my design ethos for each image. Ever wonder

why you love an image but are not sure why or how to recreate the magic?

Demystify the magic and easily make beautiful flat lays every time!

http://rebeccayalephotography.com/e-courses