Does anyone else find flatlays a bit claustrophobic? Or think there are just too many on Instagram?
Lucy's light wood backdrop
You don't have to use your photography backgrounds just for flatlays. With an investment of less than £10 you can set yourself up with a portable support system that means you have a small table top studio ready for your now 3 dimensional Instagram masterpieces.
You will need
1 2x3' piece of plywood, mdf or other lightweight board (from DIY stores)
2 smallish plastic spring clamps (same store, different aisle)
1 table
All you need to do is clamp the backdrop onto the plywood and prop it all up at the back of your set up. If you have any of the doors or floorboard backdrops, make sure its not leaning, otherwise your vertical lines will slope away. Gravity holds the vinyl backdrop perfectly vertical, and because the backdrops are a universal size, you don't need to worry about wrinkles or overlaps.
Table top setup with Lucy's light wood as a table top, and grey stone barn door as a backdrop
Spring clamp out of shot
Plywood behind
If you want to get very professional about the whole setup, just add a piece of 5mm white foam core as a reflector:
My current favourite - dark grey stable door backdrop
(What is a flatlay?
What we used to call a bird's eye viewpoint now has its own category of photography. A flatlay is just anything table top sized, laid out and shot from vertically above.)
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Regular readers will know I do no sponsored posts and use no affiliate links. I need something to stand out in the crowded photography space, and this is one of my things. I do it so you can trust I'm recommending things because I love them, not because I'm going to take a cut if you click one of my links, or because someone sent me something so I have to say nice things. I love Lucy's backdrops. I've got 5, and am saving for another 2. They are the only ones I've found that you can use close up and in focus, instead of having to blur them out in the distance.