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LAY THINGS FLAT

Friday 19 June 2015

Flat lays are a tough art to pull together but in this digital age, let's not complain. I've been asked, "Do you take photos from Google and place it on the canvas on Photoshop?", "How do you create that solid white background without screwing up?". Time equals productivity, don't waste it by binge watching episodes of Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead - dedicate some of that time to experiment. Thankfully those hadn't existed back at school; couldn't possibly understand your pain. Make any flat lay look good with your own aesthetic but don't force that aesthetic or else you'll drop that ball with inconsistency, there's a tip for you. By no means an expert, just trying my best at answering your Qs. Continue for some of my personal.

Let's start by saying no, I don't take items from Google and throw it on a canvas - I believe there's a word for that, Polyvore.

1. Tinted/Dark background - If you're working with a Macbook, load the flat lay onto your computer, turn it onto the brightest setting and tilt it backwards. You can see the grains and colours accurately; If you're wanting a clean white background, that's why your background isn't working for you. Fix as accordingly.

2. Good lighting - It's a given. If the lighting's bad, there's no saving it. Take a white cardboard and go out into the sunlight or anywhere where there's a white light. Do not use yellow lighting. I repeat, unless you're going for that look.

3. Underestimation - Use the contrast, saturation, adjust and structure tool on the Instagram editing page. Don't underestimate the tools.

4. Snapseed - For on-the-go editing, use Snapseed. You can pinpoint where you do and don't want colour. The only problem with that is that it takes while to do small details. Click here to download. For Photoshop editing, use the Sponge tool.

5. Save as PNG - If you're really wanting that crisp, white background or having better quality image on your phone, save your image as PNG through your computer. Alternatively, use the 'Sharpen' tool on Instagram; be careful with this though.

6. Paint brush - People get scared of this tool; but it works magic. Avoid the shadows and fill in the coloured. Don't overdo this, or it'll look two dimensional. Practice makes perfect.

7. Exposure and Gamma Correction - On Photoshop, it will save your life.

2 comments

  1. Thanks for tips! I also use a Sponge tool when editing with my http://hdreditingsoftware.com/effects/ plugins for hdr (you can use them too). Sponge Tool allows you to simultaneously change the color saturation and contrast of the image with minimal effort. It is great in some cases

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