A post shared by Alice Red (@missalicered) on Apr 11, 2017 at 5:51am PDT

Even though most flatlays look minimal and effortless, I find that actually taking them yourself is anything but.

I used to really struggle to take flatlays - which is quite hard for me to admit, being a photographer and all. But I think everyone has their specialities and flatlays didn't seem to be mine.

I made an effort to look for inspiration online and realised that I needed to do a few things differently if I wanted to take Pinterest-worthy photos. I spent some time practicing, and after a bit of trial and error I feel like I've nailed it down. I'm still not the best at taking flatlays by any means, but I've definitely found a few tricks that work for me personally and helped step up my game.

Watch the video:

My Key tips:

1. use Natural daylight.

In my opinion, natural daylight works for every kind of photography, and flatlays are no exception. Sometimes I'll use my ringlight if there are any harsh shadows, but the sun does most of the work. Since moving my desk a little closer to the window I found that my photos have looked even better.

2. Have a neutral background.

I've found that my white desk, wooden floorboards or sand-coloured carpet make the best backdrops for my flatlays. I'd probably try my white sheets on the bed if my bedroom lighting was better.

3. Use a Wide angle lens.

I've always sworn by my 40mm and 50mm prime lenses as I'm a portrait photographer, but this is where flatlays are the exception to the rule. A wide angle is essential so that you can fit lots in the image, and it allows room for a square crop for Instagram. I use the Canon 18-55mm kit lens that came with my DSLR.

Don't have a wide angle lens? No problem - try standing on a stool or stepladder to get more in the frame.