Art | STYLE
Forage
for a flat lay
Pete Lock Photography
By Tra cy Ca lder, co-fou nder of the a n nua l Close-up Photog rapher of the Yea r competition
F
lat lay photography – shooting objects directly from above – is particularly popular with product and food photographers, but it’s also a fabulous way of shooting nature in all its winter glory. Next time you’re planning a walk, take a basket or bag with you and gather up any leaves, berries or dried grasses that catch your eye. Once home, examine your natural treasures and arrange them on a white board where each shape, colour and skeletal form can be celebrated. There’s something so calming and meditative about the process, and once you start it’s really hard to stop! Aside from fostering a general sense of calm, flat lays are a great way to further your understanding of composition, positive and negative space and how to use colour theory to enhance your images.
1. Think more is more When it comes to selecting objects for a flat lay, choose items that relate to one another, whether via shape, colour or theme. For this style of photography, more is most definitely more – anything in abundance can be turned into a picture with a bit of patience. I like to head out on a colour or shape treasure hunt, training my eye to look for just green leaves, triangular grass tips, etc. With its mixture of woodland and heathland, Parkhurst Forest is a great place to begin your search.
2. Gather what grows together Chefs often say: ‘What grows together, goes together’ and this is good advice when foraging for a flat lay. If you’ve found some attractive leaves, look around to see what else might be growing nearby. Are there berries or twigs that might work in the composition? Can you tell the story of a particular place through your work? With a variety of habitats, sites such as Newtown National Nature Reserve could become the subject of multiple flat lays. November and December 2021
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