Product and flat lay photography

1. 1. Intro: in this photographic class, I'm gonna show you how to take better Flatley's You know that shot from above clean photos which you can see all over the instagram. First I will talk about some techniques and then I'll show you on examples how I started my photos for this class project We will be taking on disk flatly with the coffee. 2. 2. 4 elements of telling story: So there are four elements off telling stories through pictures. One is character, Second is settings. First it's mood and for his clients. And I will talk about about through all of these four steps. So 1st 1 is a main character. Every picture needs a main character. Otherwise, recipient will not know what you want to sell to him. Just look at this. Three pictures. They are taken all off. Tree was taken from one photo shoot the main character off each off. Everything's photo is different on this left one. The main character of the picture are this glasses with drinks class. They're selling me the drink classes, showing me how they look like I emerging how they taste like I want to try. When I look on this picture, I want to try them out. The 2nd 1 shows the whole story behind this drinks. It shows the whole sweet table with all the sweets in it. And also it shows all the decorations on this table and the mines. And then my character on this picture Are these decorations on it? I need to sell this decoration on this picture. The last picture is about the cake. It is the main character speak truth. Second screen settings. You need to talk and think about where was picture taken and what do you want to tell about ? My character just looked through these two photos. They are almost exactly the same, but the settings on these two pictures are very different. They're showing us toe almost exactly the same cakes but made from France ingredients. The picture on the left shows us I'm king pies, which also those you Where was it taken? Also, the mood and I used dark, dark colors in it. There is their background and their books black boxes, which creates in your mind this picture or late out, Um, when there's not enough light to take photos. So you imagine that this cakes waas like in almost in hollow with moment and the right picture is fresh spring, just like you were going on a picnic. In the moment, you can see some water drops in this court cakes, and I let this one little strawberry late next to the cakes, which tells you that it's spring that it's in spring time or are in summer when you just grab this cakes and go to the picnic time with your friends 3. 3. mood: first element of telling story through pictures is more you need to think about how elements and picture affect each other. In what month did they bring you look again to these two examples. 1st 1 on the left side. Um, I used our colors. It's mainly because I while I was shooting these cakes, I was Think about People Inc Worked Working Inc. This picture is so clean on dark show, and it shows you that this cakes are really expect expensive and only for And people if I will find us that picture in restaurant, I will not go there with my child because the picture show me that it's so really sterile on clean on this second picture is very happy and free and joyful. And, um, if I will see this on the restoration on the restaurant, I will think about places where I can go with my kids because it's so joyful. It looks so not official 4. 4. Types of light: for the graphic is simply the game of light and shadow. Light is the key. When we want to tell a story, there are three types of light. 1st 1 is a front light, and it's very boring kind of flight. Just as you can see, the whole picture is very flat. There are no shadows, almost no shadows at all on the Speedo. News is this kind of light in product photography are in flatly photography. I use only this light when I'm shooting people when I'm shooting portraits. So when we photograph food or another products, we just don't use that because it's so boring. Seconds type of light is sideline. As you can see on this picture, the light comes from the source of light right side off this cake, because all shadows, who, which you see are on the left side of the cake and on the left side of the glass. And all highlights on this raspberries are right site. When you notice this little details, you will see exactly where the light is coming from. On the pictures, the last type of light is a back like I just love this type of light It's really great. As you can see, the back is really light. The shadows are in front, off in front of us on and all of the highlights on the fruits are on the back and the front of the fruits are blood. And here you have the these three pictures next to each other and you just can't see how they look next to each other, and you can choose which one you really like the best. 5. 5. Story with style: telling story with style. So choose perfect props. You have got to pictures, which are almost the same. But they're differ with the proper used props just to look at these two pictures and say, Which one of this, too? It's more interesting to you. Eventual. Say that the right one. That's right, because the proper use of props makes the picture more stylish. I used the bunch off trees on this right pictures just to tell you the exact moment where the picture was taken. I mean, this picture tells you that it was in the winter time, especially in Christmas time caused these branches, and the red color used in this dish tells you the exact moment when it was taken. 6. 6 story with style - part II: If you don't have any idea where to start, just start with the object used to make the product. Just like with this her urban, as you can see it, dismayed off pompons on this rose. It's golden white rose. It's so to make this seem more interesting, I put all of this pump ALS, which I used to create it in the background. A swell as the rose. It's here. You've got tree pictures of the packaging off backed presence in a Christmas time, and the props which are used in the backgrounds are mostly bring branches, some lights which always are connected with the Christmas time, and some also some treats. 7. 7. composition: composition, it can straighten our week in your story. It should let your viewers eye to the main character, the main room in the photograph ISS rule of first. So when you see a picture divided in your mind in tow tree horizontal sections and into three vertical sections and in the points where this diagonal and horizontal line are intersected, their fines this imaginary points. These are points which are which our I would like to see something so usually we put the most important subject in our picture. In this points just like in here is the boy and this being rectangle, you can also use centered composition. Dislike in this picture and not is that that this picture we were only used three colors only. We was only read to emphasize this birthday present our Christmas. I think it was a Christmas prison because it's in right and usually read, Connect with Christmas time and you can see all. You can also see that this kid's blouse is red. So we used in this picture only most, even two colors red and brown and shades of brown. And this composition is centered because the box and this present is the main thing in this picture. So it almost takes it all 8. 8. composition - part II: balance in both way. Symmetric. Oh, and a symmetrical Well, it depends what you want toe achieve in your picture. They're right. Picture. We have, ah, symmetrical composition, and it shows we want to show the whole cake in it, so we put it in center. When you're just put the straight line in the center of this picture, you will see that it almost identical on both sides. But if we would like to show some details in this cake, some structure which we have achieved in this cake, so this symmetrical composition will be ideal and the close up is ideal to show it is. Both pictures are right and fine, but you can use it depends on the purpose contrast in town, color or shape. Just look at the card. It's black and white mostly, and it's got straight lines on Lee, and it's put on very colorful background made of cotton balls. Repetition in shapes, colors and patterns. Here we've got the picture off. Some shirts with almost every shirt has a white button, and the color color's are almost the same. It's blue, it's red and some kind off powerful, made with blue. So you have a really narrow coloristic here, use of color. If you don't know where to start to start with one color, one to mark streetcars Just think which color will you will use and then gather all the things you have in your room in that color and then while creating this scene, and will be easier for you to pick the stuff you need to put in your scene. 9. 9. composition - part III: a number of things. Just look at these two pictures. They are almost the same. Machine is the same off these two pictures because we have three objects, three cakes put it in the strong points in our our illustration. Just step back to the first rule I told you about. The composition was the rule of efforts, and it's also used here because the cakes are put in the strongest points in the picture. There were some research may that shows that people's eyes people mind, don't like, likes a number of things in pictures. We don't like beings, which has it. It's just boring for us. We like a number of things which makes picture interesting for us. We like 1357 things pictured on the right picture. You've got three forks and three cakes, and on the left picture you have only one fork but three cakes and seven Berries. So still, these pictures are very in this interesting and made in the same sheen. But the mood off these two pictures tells us different things 10. 10. taking pictures with phone: king always take pictures with your phone, especially when you are taking a flatly, because your phone leases are similar. Toe 35 millimeter alliances, which is which is equivalent off wide lands in your veers off camera. So everything which you will put on your sin will be sharp and you don't have toe. Wonder what kind off settings you moved to take on your camera to make everything sharp. If you don't know how to do that, just use your phone to take the picture. But just remember toe keep everything in center when you're taking a picture with your phone because you will get some distortion on the urges. And it's also hard to make a shallow depth of field. But it's also plus when you just don't know how to get one on your camera. And here are some examples of the scene taking with the phone camera, and when you look on the picture on the left, you see that the colors of the sin are ray, great white and some kind of greenish. But this greenish is, um, with a little bit of gray, and the right picture is with wide being and arrange there are only use off this tree colors in this picture. And here we've got another examples and these cars our only gold, white and black on this picture. When I am planning my shoots first, I always think about colors and mood, which I would like to have on my pictures. First I think about the mood and then I don't think about the colors which will go respond to that mode. Then I pick on the stuff which I have in my house or I go shopping, and only by the scholars proud. And when I I'm I start shooting, I got everything which I have, which I gathered Onda. Then just take the stuff which I would like, which suits the best to the team off the picture. Flatley's or since where we want everything Sharp is the easiest to get by the phone 11. 11 source of light: we're searching for natural light in our house. So what exactly are we looking for? First windows without direct light. Still, we have to remember that northern windows never have direct light. And the second tape is that we are always taking pictures, depending on the time of the day and also on the time of the year. Because in a place where I live, we have more light during the spring and summer and a very less light in a winter and in autumn. So first of all, you have to where you have perfect light, who had have to check all of your windows in all the rooms in all in different kind, off in different time off the day. Also in different season off the year, and you have to pick the perfect for you. Does the size of the windows really matter? Bigger deserts of light window, the softer the shadows and lower contrast between the light and shadow, the smaller deserts of light. The contras will be stronger. The father from the source of light. The contrast and shadows will be softer, So if you have a big shadows and you're seeing, you just have to move away from the source of light, move away from the window 12. 12. backgrounds: this time I will be talking about photographic backgrounds, and what can we use to photograph on? So as a photographic background, you can use almost anything you can use. Grab Grunnet playing chests, all kind of boxes. Black birth. I love to shoot on baking tray, and I love to use baking tray as, ah, background, all kind of wooden plank. You can also paint it yourself. Are you can use a row off will pay most for the graph. Furs, with whom I talked about the photographic backgrounds told me that they are going toe the store and they both only one piece off roll paper, and they use it and it's very cheap and it's also versatile. Also, you can use wouldn't plants. You don't have to make it as a one table. You can you put it every time, but it in another order also watch what is great for a background. I often use white form birds, black phone birds. I also use printed backgrounds in the they pretend to be like wood are like stones on as it goes to the stones. There are so you can also buy stickers on Ali Express, which pretends Toby Tales. Kitchen tales are bathroom tales. You just don't have to by Ordina orginal tales. But you can buy this stickers and stick it to this white from birth. And you will have this world would with tiles, just as you said before you can ah, use it like this. On the left, you see the whole set up of a scene, and on the right, you can see the result of this set up. Um, if you could see only this right picture, you would thought that I don't make this picture in a bathroom, But it's not true. I make it in my home little studio. It doesn't even is a studio, but because I use this wouldn't board to which I glued some tiles and it's you and use it as a bag background. 13. 13. home mini studio: Now let's talk about home Any studio. Most of us may think that I have a big room for my sins to photograph it in and and perhaps some alarms to photography. But mostly this is my scene. This is how it looks like on the right and on the left is the effect which are receiving from my camera. Well, it also depends from the lances which you use but to take a decent flatly. You don't have tohave professional studio. Even a piece of floor or table is enough to take a good shot. The Here I found some examples on Pinterest. I have a massive board on Pinterest where I paint this examples which people show on their websites How they take their photos you can always see on the one picture are set up of a photo on and the result on the second picture the result which they achieved. If you would be interested, you can always served by yourself typing flatly fotografia on Pinterest and you will find a massive inspiration there. And I can always share with you my Pinterest birth where I have gathered together this flatly inspiration for you 14. 14 time value: So let's talk about press selection of time. Time volume is, um, semiautomatic mode on your camera usually is shown us the foul. It stands from time value or US s stands for shatter. And what time value does it allows to control movement? You need to think about what you want toe achieve on your in your fatter If you want Teoh control sometime to capture some time on your picture like flowing of the water. Falling drops are the sauce, which you were dripping across your dish, and it's usually starts from one second, which is very slow shutter speed 1 2000 of a second, which is very fast. And this four pictures shows you what is the result off each time on the photos when you have went 1 20 of a second, you can see that most of the picture is very blowing. We capture the movement, but the hand was still moving, and we have one off 22nd captured on our our scene, and it's a long time for the camera and on the far right you've picture taken in 1 25 in 1000 to 15 off a second and everything in this picture is sharp because it was very quick. A short amount of time on what I want you to say is that when you take a flat lay seen, we don't use this semi control mo. But if the picture which you take is blurry, it doesn't always mean that you're setting was wrong. It can mean that you have long exposure time and simply you need to use a tripod. 15. 15. aperture value: Let's talk about upper to her value. It's usually marked us a phone or a on your camera, and it's also the second type of semi control mode on your camera, and it I loves you to control the depth of field. A purchaser is a hole in the camera, which determines how much light falls falls into the shatter and it all of you to control the depth of field. But we have to remember that it depends from dalliances. It doesn't depend from the camera body you have. It always depends from dalliances. These are a pitcher stops, Um, starting from £2.8 to 22 2.8 is. Sometimes you can even get smaller apertures aperture like 1.2 or 1.8. And this number means that that you're a pitcher is very wide open and you will achieve a smaller depth of field, and it's usually used when you need to make or have on. Your photos are very the small left field, like on the portrait when you don't don't want this whole background, be sharp, and 16 and 22 numbers means that you're a pitcher is closed and you will have the larger that off field Always everything on your father will be sharp. And this type of a picture we usually used to take the group photos when you were photograph in the whole group off people. And ah, I'm going to show you one example. Um, on the right side, we have a very small number off off a picture. So it was wide open. And as a Z, you can see only eyes are sharp, even hands in the background. Everything is blurry and on the right we've got a very large number off a pitcher. So it was almost closed and almost everything except this falling leaves Colorful lives is sharp in this picture and which one off this tool grabs your rotation more? I bet the right one And I hear you've got example on the cards How this appear to works on the top left you've got small The smallest aperture which I could get on my camera on my lances and on them dunk right. You've got the example the widest, the biggest number which I had on my lances. But there are more factors which affected up off field first, which I have already talked about is a Parcher. Second is distance from the subject. If you're very close to your subject, the left all field will be very shall. If you move away from your subject, the depth of field will be much bigger. Also, Um, what is important? The distance from the back room. If your background is not blurry enough than move away your subject from the background and the last factor is also Lance factor link Human. I always follows the sharpest elements on the picture and alliances I use the most. I've got five senses, but these two are the main. My main. When I'm taking flatly on this is 50 million matters one point I and this is can on basic common lands. And the 2nd 2nd 1 I've got Tom Ron 90 90 million matters, macro. Also 1.8. And here you've got two examples on one picture. You've got the sub photographed subject very close to the background, and I'm the second picture of got the same scene. But I move away. The product from the background is a And as you can see, the background is blurry. We don't see the styles 16. 16. white balance: So now let's talk about white bones. Every light has a color on. It's measured in Calvin, which is our color temper temperature. They lied when you shot in daylight. It gives you rather bluish towns on pictures. Bullwhips give give warm and yellow light on through arrest int light. Give greenish light. If that's possible, try to use only one sirs of light here. You've got an example. The picture on the right was taken on Lee with 100% natural light on. You can see on the shadows that you have only on one side shut, and the picture on the left side was taken with natural light and also with artificial light. And as you can see, everything is yellow wish and bluish, and also you've got these two kinds of shades. One is from natural light, and the 2nd 1 is from this artificial light. Why we shouldn't mix that to two different sorts of light because it's very difficult to adjust it in post production 17. 17. yellow flat lay intro: so high in this module we will been taking fireplace with color. As you can see, I have got all things yellow that Ariel that I found in my home and it was hell. I could also find some toys like Lego are plastic fruits. But I don't think they will shoot into my into this session in this. But I don't think they will fit into the session. So here are old things I've got Which are you? In my room. So let's get started. 18. 18. yellow flat lay: Okay, so let's start to build our our sting. So the notebook is the most important thing in our Flatley. So it's in the middle of the scene and the rest of the things we will be placing all around this notebook to form a square. So let's go. So let's place so crayons here. So I put a post on the other side of the book. I will put the crayons from the lightest like this to the darkest. They are different size because I try to sharpen them and they're broken inside. So it was hard toe sharpen the there they really well, So we've got a crayons on the one side will place the person on the other side. Some of them go. This quote I've got lucky, but it's in folders. Just a quick look through the viewer. All right, I'm next. We will put the letters at the top of the hour book. It will say, you know that as you can see, I didn't fall into the second in my Scrabble. So I used this plug. It's queer to feel in this case, and I try the letters to fit this distance the size of the way would off the notebook. Okay. Quick. Quickly looked through the viewer. I think it's a ride. And then our puts, um, Kaline at the bottom. I also start from the lightest shade to the dark. Best. I tried to dominant the same distance between the to the each of them. They got almost the same distance. All right. Food too. Oh, that little bit camera. Just You can see the whole Kaline. Um Then I'll put some flowers. As you can see, I make them smaller and I will put them right here in school. No charges. Stamps won't be large visible. Take those who? But it's right. I've got one more here. Oh, I think they Oh, what? Fine. But I will place across district line as they were showing who? The urge. Just fighting with quick. Look through the viewer. Well, I think there should be a bit lower, like fuel lives on the notebook and feel the space around here. So I've got also you alone paint, and I would place it right here because there is a little bit off Blunk room and I would like to feel it in, but also I've got this. A magnets. This one with a quote followed fish partial with this arrow, and this hour will be pointing to this yellow word. So I think it's another great move here and now we can have our stuff. I think it's great. 19. 19. office flat lay intro: Okay. This time way will be shooting office. Flat life. I call it obvious because the main subject of this photo for the shoot will be my planner. It's not a notebook. It's a dollar. Where? Where I planned all of my going up going evens. Mm. I just shot this planet once, but I've got a different kind off flowers. Then I got black white roses. And that's why that session was made only with three colors which waas white block and green. Today. I've got different kind of flowers I've got this year once. I don't even know how they What is the their name. But there were They weren't expensive ones. And I couldn't find a white roses snow. Um, so I take two tree colors for decision. It will be green, yellow and gold. I take it as a one because they're similar to each other. So yellow and gold and also a black e. I pick all of my MM stuff in this colors. When I plunged my session, I think about three colors. Three main colors which will placed on my seen and then I choose. And this and then I choose a staff only industry colors. I don't have to use it, all of them. But it's easier for me during the session when I've got all in my hands. So let's start start, so let's start. 20. 20. office flat lay: Okay, So today well, we will be shooting a planner flatly. So, brother, is our minds subject of this photo shoot so it will be placed into center of it. Next. I felt so great cards in my predict life cards. And I think they're great decision because of the quote, which they have, This one is got Don't quote me on that, and this one's got to keep it simple. Um, and I think when they're two together, it's got some greater meaning. And it's perfect for this planet because planner for me, uh, blunder when I use my planter all things which I want to do just got simpler for me because I can planet in all these little steps which I can do everyday in in this case. So, uh, you will put this cards So what? We're somewhere somewhere right here. Near display under this planner also has got a great quote. Live your life. So it's all kind of connected together. So we started with this plunder and cards next, but moved him with higher. You said something. The only connection that simple is visible. Next, I will be placing this person, but only two of them are Purcell's. Three of them are straws. But this Stroh's looks like look like Purcell's on the pictures. So I got to pencils and three strokes, and when I put this pieces together, I've got side pieces. Remember to keep the same this dance between all of the subject. Okay. All right. Next, I will put some flowers because, as you can see, we've got this year low post seals, and I feel that this seems like some yellow in it. Do make it more bonds. So I will put this yellow flowers, which I'll show you earlier. I make them shorter, but I would put them in this coolers. This one luck hits petal. What? I got five flowers. Troll. This this one here, Um, this one with it here on this one. So it looks quite symmetrical, but place it. You were maybe this this way. And I will remove the camera from this team. Eso You can see the bottom of the thing. No, I've got with So so Place it on there. Some please. Green paper clips. I knew it feeling this wide space, right? So, like look, I will look into camera. How it looks OK. No, I've got this block. Go on and I will put it So like here, please. Just as a reminder that we used to rock roll our quotes with ink, not with pens. So we'll put it here, but not so straight like this. As you can see, I got so block space blank space at the bottom. So I found this white my stuff. So I put it here. Next, I've got magnets. Ah, one with do quote for your passion. No, Put it here somewhere in the second World War Here The feeling I also got this quote today Green So it it's a one off this chosen colores here. Okay, it's almost finished. The lads. I found this labour with date my stuff also in my predict life stuff. And I think place it here on my father So lets you more know that it's a planner, not just a simple logbook. And I think it's OK. It's finished. We all just to remember that when you take the picture you will crop it into a square. So all of this white spaces and on the left and the right side there will be cropped. So here you are Here is over. Blunder Flood! Lee 21. 21. coffee and roses flat lay intro: Hello today will be shooting a flatly with the coffee and some flowers and some Rog, we will be a simulating a bed so it will be a bad steam. It will be perfect for Instagram. It's a perfect instagram shot with the flowers. Perfect for, um Flower Friday Action Instagram. So here are all the things I gather to decision. I don't know right now, which one of these caps I will use? We will see the wild creating this team. So stay tuned. And so let's get started toe. So let's get started. So let's get started. So So let's get started to create this thing. 22. 22. coffee and roses flat lay: Okay, So the main subject off our seeing is a cup of coffee. So let's place it as a first on our scene. Well, put it almost in the middle in the center. But well, a bit. A little bit higher. I will only look to the juror to see how it will look like. Exactly. Next thing which I will put in my seeing will be this pillowcase which will simulate the rock. I will place it somewhere rolled here. And you don't have to be. You know, something like this. I still remember that we will cut this Holstein into a square so you don't have to worry about what you kept on the far left and on the far right of the same. We will cut this rock into this try and goal on the on the edges. Something here the next. The next thing which I will put in a scene, will be flowers. I've got this beautiful roses which are both a few days ago and they won't dutifully so our book it's in this bottom corner of the scene. I think this on day one of this roses I will put on the pillowcase So we're wrong here. I Oh, so good, Cem. Little wide flowers and I will put it on my roses. Something like that to make this flowers look even fuller. Just us. If they were more of these flowers One of these little white flowers put also on the second rules here. Oh, let's see. Enough. You'll find there. How would it? How it looks like a great I will move this cop a big down. Also, I've got this fuel, beautiful cards from project life all bones and I will just one. I have already tried that this one is too dark and you just don't see this beautiful quote which is on it So it won't be was in this. This one also didn't shoot me at all to the scene. This one was great. But it's vertical to result. And I need something which is vertical More vertical. So I tried seen before. And this one it was perfect for it. So we will replace it somewhere like here. Just you see the hole, the whole word. But I will move my cup a little bit down. And this quote something like this. Just you, For you to see the whole words. Perfect. Next thing which I'm going to lay on my saying will be lights. I think they will give some interest in the same Well, put it some or around is this is flowers. I got hurt. Hurt shape, Lied, Sold. I will put something like this. Oh, great. Let's light them up and see how they look like almost perfect. Let's leave some space for some additional conditioning. Great. No, I also got this green seconds on a low. Put it roll this team to make it more interesting because I think there few anti spaces around this carp and I need to fill them up. So we'll put some seconds seconds here on as you can see in the scene, my mind Colors of things are green and white, a green, white and colors of brown. But like drone, I think this looks almost perfect. Why? I don't place in seconds only on the pillowcase because I want to put here some coffee. I've got a coffee beans. I just love coffee. Especially this, but some kind of Viramontes. So Okay, maybe enough a seconds just in one here minutes. Some coffee on the pillowcase. Just as you said before my mind. Colors of seen are green, wild and brown. That's why I place this coffee right here. All right, let's look to the viewer. And the last thing which I need to put in my stint is a coffee. I usually place it at the end because sometimes when I create my steam, I just draw it and it ruins my whole thing. Okay. A month. I usually place a coffee of the Oh, okay. It's this way. Oh, it looks so great. No drop from the scene. So here it is. It is our scene. I will show you in end of this video. How crop it. How did I crop this photo? Because it's in a rectangle now. And I wanted want to crop it in a square just to fit in its turn into instagram food. So I will crop it in a square and I will show you how I added. It's how the end version edited version looks like