To shoot a clothing flat lay, lay the steamed garment on a plain surface, light it with soft light from one side, shoot straight down from directly above, and repeat the same setup for every item. Flat lays are the fastest way for a boutique to get clean, consistent product photos without a model.
This guide covers the flat lay style specifically. For lighting, shot lists and model photos, see the main clothing product photography guide.
Your flat lay setup
| Item | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Plain surface | White or neutral foam boards, seamless paper or a clean floor |
| Soft light | A large window or one softbox |
| White bounce board | Fills shadows on the side away from the light |
| Overhead tripod arm or a step stool | Keeps the camera straight above the garment |
| Steamer, lint roller, tissue paper | Prep and shaping |
| Painter's tape | Marks garment and tripod positions |
Step-by-step
- Set up next to your light. Put the surface beside a window or softbox, with the bounce board on the opposite side.
- Prep the garment. Steam it, remove tags and lint-roll it.
- Shape it. Lay it flat, smooth it out and use tissue paper inside tops and pants for a little shape.
- Style the sleeves and waist. Tuck sleeves slightly, cinch a waist with a fold behind the garment, and keep both sides symmetrical.
- Position the camera. Directly above, lens parallel to the surface, so hems and shoulders aren't distorted.
- Shoot the full garment, then a close-up of fabric and one detail.
- Mark your positions with tape so the next item sits in the same spot.
Styled flat lays
For secondary images and social posts, build an outfit: a top, the matching bottoms, shoes, a bag and jewelry you carry. Keep it to a handful of items, leave space between them, and make sure everything in the photo is something a shopper can buy from you. Styled flat lays are also an easy way to show cross-sells.
Use the Boutique Sales Goal Calculator to see how many orders, visitors, and daily traffic targets you need to hit your revenue goal.
Open the Boutique Sales Goal Calculator →Handling shadows
- Move the bounce board closer to soften shadows.
- Keep yourself and the camera from blocking the light.
- A very slight shadow can make the garment look real; a heavy one looks messy.
Shoot in batches
Prep every new arrival first, then shoot them all without changing your setup. Name files by SKU, edit the batch together with the same settings, and crop to your store's standard ratio. This is where flat lays save the most time.
Flat lay mistakes
- Shooting at an angle, which makes garments look lopsided.
- Wrinkles and lint.
- Different surfaces or light from one product to the next.
- Too many props in product images.
Flat lays don't show fit, so pair them with at least one on-body photo where you can. Boutique photoshoot ideas covers model and lifestyle shoots.