Whether you’re a business that has decided to take flat lay photography into your own hands or you're a new photographer, it can feel overwhelming when it comes to styling flat lay photos. (There’s a reason why styling is a whole separate job!) Setting up flat lays can be like staring at a blank page, but with patience and practice you can develop your own personal style.

Any successful photoshoot starts with creating a moodboard to help you find inspiration and to decide on a visual direction. This will guide you when finding props that will fit your mood and feel.

If you are starting to curate your flat lay photography collection, here’s some tips on essential flatlay props that I typically use in my shoots. By curating a collection of props that work for a variety of flat lay set ups, you can save money and space and speed up your workflow.

Flowers

Flowers, whether fresh or dried, are a lovely compliment to a styled flat lay. Whether they are peaking into the corner, a large bunch taking centre stage or just a handful of stems strewn across the scene, they are versatile and can add a pop of colour to complement whatever mood or season you are shooting for.

Kraft Paper

This could be anything from brown wrapping paper and scraps of old paper through to envelopes and old paper bags. Use them in your images to create layers, depth and add texture.

Books & Magazines

A great way to add interest to any scene is to add layers with books and magazines. Think about the type of book you are using in comparison to the scene you are creating. Cookbooks tell the story of being in a kitchen while you might find homewares, lifestyle or travel magazines on a coffee table in a living room. A great place to find vintage books is in local charity shops, thrift markets or on Etsy.

Tip: Make sure the colour of the book or magazine is of a complimentary colour to your scene. A set up that feels rustic would benefit from a cream or neutral book, rather than a bright yellow or red one that might distract the viewer from the main product or dish.

Trinket Dishes and Pinch Dishes

It’s always useful to have a variety of small-ish pinch dishes. I have a few glass and some plain ceramic dishes in green, blue and white.

They are versatile and can be used for both food and product photography shoots for holding smaller things like salt, toppings, or loose items like rings or earrings.

Linens & Ribbons

I can’t tell you how many times a small linen saves the day! Obviously when styling a product photo, the story needs to make sense. A large part of that story is picking appropriate props. Linens are particularly useful when you are setting up bathroom and kitchen scenes.

There’s quite an art to getting a linen to look ‘natural’. Try throwing it down and see how it lands and repeat as many times as necessary, tweaking as you go.

Tip: Remember to steam any materials and linens that you want to appear crease-free.

Stationery

Think scissors, wooden pencils, pens, copper paper clips, notebooks...all of these household or 'office' items weave into many different narratives.

Other useful items for flat lay photography include:

Steamer
Blue tac
Paint Brush

What are some of your favourite flat lay product photography props that you use over and over again? I’d love to know!

Flat lay props for product photography