The Art of the Flatlay

I’ve been long fascinated with flatlay photography, but I was intimidated to try it.  What is the flatly you ask? It’s simply laying lovely items out and photographing them from directly above. It has the most engaging effect when you arrange your items to tell a type of story. Sort of like a retail store display but from a two dimensional perspective.

As an artist, maker, and seller, I’m always looking for new ways to present my work.  It’s been done so well by many artists on Instagram, all I could do is longingly admire from afar.

Then came Annie McGee!  She is the artist, photographer, surface pattern designer, and now, Skillshare teacher, behind Northern Bird Designs located in the UK.  I took her course on Skillshare and my fear went out the window… Somehow she simplified the process, taking a daunting task and transforming it into a fun and easy project. 

How did she do this? I have no idea??? This is the magic of Annie in action, sharing her tips for creating interesting backgrounds, using photo apps and finding the right lighting. All I know is that after experiencing her class, I was “flatlaying” with ease and confidence.  If you’d like to see examples of her work, here’s a link to her Instagram page. If you want to dive in and learn to do your own flatlays, here’s a link to to Annie’s Skillshare class, Social Media for Creatives: Creating Flatlays. I think you have to be a Skillshare member for this one