5 Styling Tips for Flat Lay Photos
Updated: Jun 14, 2022
Do you love your finished knit but don’t know where to start when taking finished photos? Are you an aspiring test knitter that’s looking to build your portfolio? Are you using photos to make a sale for your handmade business?
Whether you’re posting on Instagram, Etsy, or Ravelry, it’s a good idea to learn how to take impactful photos that can both share your hard work and build your skills!
Check out these 5 tips to take amazing flat lay photos of your knits every time!
Or view the tips in micro tutorial here!
Tip #1: Choose a Complimentary Background
You want your hand knit to pop, so it’s the first thing you notice when you see the photo.
Depending on the intricacy of the knit (texture, colorwork, etc.), you will typically want to choose a background that is both neutral and subtle. Think wood grain instead of decorative table cloth.
You will also want to pick a complementary color/texture to your knit and/or your personal brand. If you like a woodsy, rustic aesthetic, you might lean towards a dark wood grain like Walnut or Concrete. Whereas if you like a clean, minimal aesthetic, a lighter grain like Pine or matte white works better.
Pro Tip: If you don't have a good table or floor background, consider picking up a rigid printed photo backdrop to use instead! For a more affordable alternative, you can also use a white poster board.
Tip #2: Arrange your Knits Dynamically
Next, you want your hand knit to catch people’s attention. This means we typically lean on a more dynamic arrangement for the photo.
A good rule to think about is how the eye travels in a C shape across the photo. If you tilt your knit at an angle, you bring the viewer’s eye to the knit, and then it travels upwards through the photo, providing them more reason to look and linger on the photo.
Pro Tip: This is not to say you should *never* have a straight orientation for your knit. Choose your arrangement based on the type of feeling you're trying to achieve.
Tip #3: Frame with Greenery
While it doesn’t have to be explicitly “greenery”, it’s a good idea to find something linear to use to add a textural frame to your image.
Rather than a hard edge to your photo, use this technique to provide a soft transition. Do this by ensuring that the greenery sits just inside the frame of your photo, extending past the frame so it’s “cropped” by what’s in view.
Pro Tip: You’ll want to typically try this technique on 2-3 sides of your photo, but not all four edges, as this can be a little much visually.