Flat Lay Photography: A guide to styling from minimal to cluttercore

Some say flat lays are over, but here’s the truth: flat lay photography hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s just evolved. And when done well, it still communicates a message to the viewer in an inspiring, informative way.

A flat lay gives you the opportunity to tell a story in one single frame. They are great for product highlights, ingredients, tools, seasonal themes, color stories, and styled kits.

They are highly shareable whether on social media, on your website or portfolio, and in e-commerce stores. They are still used in everything from print layouts and ebooks, digital products, and branding imagery. They make what you are trying to communicate or sell easy to understand. 

Just this spring, I photographed an advertorial for EdibleSLO that ran in their spring issue to share about local products for Easter baskets and spring gifts.

Flat lays are applicable to nearly everyone. Here are some ways they work for photog-stylists, small business owners, bloggers, and content creators.

• Food & Ingredients – shopping lists, recipe breakdowns.

• Products & Packaging – skincare, jewelry, paper goods, you name it.

• Travel and Shopping Stories – maps, postcards, tickets, journals. Souvenirs you picked up, thrifting shopping finds.

• Creative Lifestyle – art tools, outfits, accessories, moodboards.

• Small Biz Scenes – flat lays of your process, materials, or kits.

• Education - all the varieties that exist (my favorite when it comes to produce, of course!).

These are a few tips to keep in mind when you are styling your shot.

Plan your color palette and choose a direction with color. Go monotone or use complementary color families to create a cohesive look.

Layer by choosing your hero item. Then build from your background to the focal point, your hero. (But you don’t always have to layer. For some flat lays, the hero on the surface works the best.)

Consider the eye path. You are in control of where you want your viewers to look first and where you want their eyes to go. Build that with your composition.

Don’t be afraid of negative space even in busy scenes that embrace cluttercore.

Natural light is your best friend. Use a scrim and white bounce card if necessary to reduce harsh shadows.

Flat lays can range from minimal to maximal in style. It’s your choice and it may vary by your shoot, the client and product, even your mood or the season. Here are some styles to experiment with. 

Minimal = One or two objects. Lots of space. Feels calm and clean.
Classic = A central focus item + a few accent props.
Story + Education Driven = A curated collection of items that tell a moment in time or educate on a topic.
Cluttercore = a current styling trend that is maximal, visually rich, and busy but balanced. An overflowing harvest table or a plant lover's shelf are good examples.

Experiment with different styles to find which you like best and which works the best with the hero you are photographing.

Maximalist food styling tips for minimalist photographers

One of the big predictions in art this year, , was a shift to maximalism. Supposedly, it’s in retaliation for all the minimalism with simple designs and neutral colors that grew in popularity over recent years. 

So if bold colors, bright patterns, and over-propping (in a good way) are your thing, it’s your time to shine. 

But what if it’s not your thing? 

As a negative space, neutral-loving stylist-photographer, I feel you. 

There are ways to create more maximalism in your work while still keeping things simple. While, of course, you don’t need to follow trends, sometimes experimenting with them can help you grow. Here are some ideas.

Try simple applications of color. You don’t have to go all out. Incorporating one or two and still keeping the propping simple gives a balance of boldness with minimalism. 

Lower angles can create a towering effect for your subject, giving it a more striking presence. 

A tighter shot with focus on the top of a drink or bowl, highlighting the garnish, communicates a strong message as well.

If propping your scene isn’t your strength, focus on the subject. If you’ve put in the time styling your salad, for example, fill the frame with the details of your hero.

Experiment with a print. Incorporate something simple with you cooler tones and minimalism. It will hint a more maximalist style. 

When trends come around that aren’t an exact fit, you can always find ways to make them your own. 

How do you define your work - more maximal or minimal?

Six Books That Changed My Styling and Photography

Few books on my shelf fail to inspire me, but as I look back on my style and the path of my work, I can see the impact some very specific books have had on the photos I create. There is no doubt that these books made me a better stylist and photographer.

I find it’s important to look everywhere for inspiration, especially outside of where we most expect to find it. These books are not how-to guides for photography and only about half are even related to food photography. Seeing them, reading them, and understanding their perspective provides me with something that I bring back to my work day after day. 

Those things slowly evolved into my eye and my photos. This is truly what it takes to create your own art. Maybe they will inspire you as well, or at the very least inspire you to go searching for your own list.

(Some books in the list are links back to my Bookshop.org shop where a purchase will support independent bookstores and earn me a very small affiliate commission.)

What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio.

This was the first photography book on my shelf and my first introduction to documentary photography. It remains the most impactful 15 years later. My background in nutrition is what launched my interest in food and food culture. That interest is what motivates my work in food styling and photography with an emphasis in where food comes from. This book still encourages me to capture a different perspective. On the dietary and nutrition side of things, while I didn’t know it then, it laid the foundation for my belief that there is no one right way to eat. 

Home Made by Yvette van Boven with Photography by Oof Verschuren.

All of her cookbooks inspire me, because I have all but one. But this was the first one I added to my collection many years ago. Seeing the photos by Oof Verschuren in this book was striking to me during a time when everything in food photography appeared very much the same. They were truly original and encouraged me to insert my own little differences into my photos. They almost serve as a sign of permission that you can do your own thing.

Bountiful: Recipes inspired by our garden by Todd Porter and Diane Cu.

This book inspired me to start capturing what is outside with what is in. It helped that I took a workshop with Todd and Diane about the time this book was published. The book has also taught me to create my own scenes when what I want to photograph isn’t right there for me to capture. 

Wabi-Sabi Welcome by Julie Porter Adams.

This book met me right where I was when I found it several years ago. I wanted, and still want, simplicity. It educated me on the concept of wabi-sabi and allowed me to incorporate more of that - negative space, natural elements - into my photos. 

In the Mood for Colour by Hans Blomquist.

All of his books are worthy of your shelf, but this one in particular helped me appreciate original color. I’m typically drawn to neutrals and muted tones in my work, but when I flip though this book I’m encouraged to add pops of color where they work. It has also shown me that color can be present without being loud or demanding. It can be rich and intriguing. 

The Multi-Hyphen Life by Emma Gannon.

No, there isn’t a photo in this book, but it did something for me that no other book has. That is to embrace the fact that I do many things. I am a stylist-photographer-writer. I consult, direct, style props, develop recipes, create photos, capture photos, and write words that go with it all. After years of feeling like this made me less than because I wasn’t focused on one thing or served one narrow role as part of a photography team, I finally embrace it and know it makes me so much better at my work. I don’t have to do it all, but can, and often do, do it all. 

If you are on a search for more books to add to your reading list, always feel free to check out my page on Bookshop.org where I keep updated lists of all my favorites.