In our fifth studio session, we learned the different types of flatlays. This type of photography styling is usually for commercial purposes, or in some types of blogs.
My first subject wast an outfit, from home, that would be good for a festival. I laid the ensemble on the white backdrop in the studio in a way that showcases the garment and accessories how they would be worn – without the need for a model. In this method you can also add props or decorations that fit the aesthetic of the garment to create more appeal.
I also decided to do some ‘what’s in my bag?’ styled photography. This would be good for blog posts. I used multiple layers of Perspex, placing different items on each level to create a range of focus depths. This created a nicely packed shot, which represents the clutter you might find in my bag normally! The shot with my purse as a focus point looks like it would be good for commercial use. I especially like the shot with my driver’s licence as a focus point, with ID photographs being a common trend in recent years across social media. I feel like this is much more personal as you are looking at my name, face, date of birth as well as what’s in my bag.
I attempted to use a black Perspex background for a flat-lay shot, however, I struggled to get the right angle overhead. Because of this, the glare from the studio lights were inconvenient. I will try to improve this method in future by adjusting lighting and angles.
This type of photography probably wouldn’t appear in my work, if I end up going down my preferred career route of fashion design. This is because inclusivity is an important value of mine, so I would much rather use models of different body types, ethnicity etc to maintain diversity. However, there is no saying that this could change, and I am glad I got to practice this technique in our session.
