Having shot a lot of food and product photography in our home studios, we have found flat lay photography backdrops to be a saving grace. What's more is we can set up and position flat lays and compositions in various locations both in the studio and outdoors. Flat lay backdrops come in a range of shapes, sizes and textures. Beyond that, it's essential to understand that the better the quality of the background, the better your overall composition will appear. But quality doesn't have to equate to high costs - like the Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop range available at Spectrum.
Most of the Spectrum flay lay backgrounds for product photography are 56cm x 87cm. However, some are available in a larger 62cm x 100cm for more oversized products and clothing arrangements. Most importantly, we encourage any visual creative, regardless of their skill level or genre, to try the below tips to break out of their usual mode of operation when making engaging and powerful content.
Tiles For Days
If you're capturing stunning product photos, including food, food products and meal arrangements, it's hard to go past a flat lay backdrop with a tile pattern. Tile patterns are ideal for food photography shots as we all associate food with kitchens and what kitchen is complete without tiles. Tile surfaces also add lines, textures and structure to a flat lay composition.
Our top picks for food flat lay photography where a tile backdrop is required is the 'Clovelly' Pink Square Tiles (56cm x 87cm). Bold and punchy with large square tiles, it's a perfect addition to optimise your flat lay ideas. If you need a simpler backdrop for food or product placement, take a look at the 'Bondi' White Hexagon Tiles (56cm x 87cm). Its honeycomb grid adds depth and interest without dominating the composition.
Wonderful Wood
Product photography is a booming industry, and the variation in products to be photographed for content marketing is vast. One of the most compelling methods of creating product compositions is with natural materials and a rustic aesthetic. We can't always keep a cupboard bull of timber planks - that's where the range of Spectrum flat lay backdrops save the day.
The popular 'Whale Beach' White Wash Wooden adds rustic charm and beach shack vibes to any product shoot. It's also worth taking a look at the larger 'Hawthorn' Light Woodgrain (62cm x 100cm) or 'Byron Bay' White Wash Wooden for a clean look to clothing shoots. Our final recommendation is the 'Nambucca' Blue Wooden for a cooler appeal.
Block It Out
As a product photographer, there are times when your design brief demands flat blocks of plain colour. It is a popular client choice as it allows the products to stand out in the final composition. Single colour backdrops help to compliment any given subject, provided you pair it with the right colour. That's why it's a great idea to have a range of colour backdrops.
We have over thirty half paper rolls colour options, with each measuring 1.36m x 10m. A popular choice is the Spectrum Half Paper Rolls that are cost-effective and easy to roll up and store safely. We also recommend the colour variants of the popular 56cm x 87cm Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop for smaller projects, including Duo' Violet Crush' or the Duo' Autumn'. Each of the Duo backdrops has a different tone of colour on each side.
Lose Your Marbles
Product placement is one of the vital marketing tools to sell any product -from pre-prepared meals to luxury watches. Some products require a simple composition with muted flat backdrops, while others demand a lux aesthetic to promote their brand and status. If you are photographing luxury watches, beauty products or even bespoke jewellery, it is worth including a marble backdrop to your composition.
We offer a range of marble-look flay lay backdrops in the popular 56cm x 87cm size. For bold applications, the 'Toorak' Black Marble adds a serious tone with fine veins of white. Beyond that, less dominant marble finishes include the 'Queens Park' Grey Marble, the cooler 'Mollymook' Mint Green Marble, and the warm-toned 'Queensland' Pink Marble. Choosing to complement marble tones ensures your products pop and appear their best.
Conquer The Concrete
There's a lot to be said about how concrete is used more and more in creative applications, including interior design and, of course, product photography. Polished or raw, concrete is a great texture and tone to highlight other natural textures such as wood, steel, glass and ceramics. If you want to achieve a sleek, urban aesthetic for products such as high-end audio, glassware or even plated meals, the Spectrum 56cm x 87cm Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop range includes concrete looks. The subtly textured and lighter-toned 'Camperdown' Textured Light Concrete is perfect for sleek industrial product shots. On the other hand, the 'Brunswick' Textured Concrete is darker, bolder and has a distressed look.
Stay Hydrated
There's no doubt that summer vibes and moods elevate the marketing success of skincare and beauty products. Warm tone, tropical themes and, of course, crystal clear water all speak of our inner desire for health and fun in the sun. A great way to add to the visual appeal of skincare and beauty products is with water-themed 56cm x 87cm Flat Lay Instagram Backdrops such as the 'Queenscliff' Rippled Water. One side is black and white with contrasting ripples, while the other has sapphire blue water and ripple print to make skin products pop.
Minimalist Queen
Some flat-lay product photography setup options need texture and patterns. Others only need a simple monochromatic surface to keep it simple for ultimate focus on the core subject of the shoot. Professional portrait photographers will tell you that less is more when it comes to creating stunning and powerful content for your Instagram followers. By far, the best choice for backdrops for portrait, fashion and even pet photography is a paper roll. Paper rolls are available in various sizes and colours, allowing more significant subjects to be photographed in a studio space. They are also easy to set up and store.
The Badabing Black Paper Roll Photography Studio Backdrop Half Length (1.36 x 10M) or the Paper Roll Photography Studio Backdrop Full Length (2.7 x 10M) - Marshmallow White are perfect for portraits fashion and full body shots. Of course, we also recommend the 'Monochrome' Black and White (56cm x 87cm) Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop for smaller products. It's black on one side and white on the other - both simple and highly effective.
Lovely Linen
It's important to understand that not all flat lay photography background ideas have to feature hard, flat, or fixed backdrops. Sometimes, all your product needs are the soft and free-flowing texture of a cotton backdrop to elevate its presence in a composition. Cotton muslin backdrops are among the most sought after materials for effective product, fashion and portrait photography. The soft weave and flowing nature of muslin add texture, softness, elegance and grace to any shoot without compromising simplicity.
The pure White 3m x 3m Cotton Muslin Studio Backdrop is a simple yet highly effective background option. It can be folded, rolled, hung over backdrop stands, and machine washable. If pure white is not your preferred choice, then look at any of the softly coloured options in the Spectrum Pastel Palette Muslin collection. They are available as 3m x 3xm or 3m x 6m to create an entire composition without cutting corners.
Shady Business
Not all flat lay ideas involve surfaces and backdrops to make an image pop. One of the oldest tricks in the product photography book is to add props and lighting effects to elevate any visual composition. While a Spectrum Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop makes a massive difference to a shoot, take it a notch higher with greenery props. Greenery props such as the Artificial 58cm Monstera Plain Leaf Stem Photography Styling Prop or the Artificial 74cm Eucalyptus Leaf Stem Photography Styling Prop add depth and dimension to a composition. Beyond that, they add points of interest, leading lines and unique ways to showcase beauty products or jewellery.
Another way to add depth, drama and interest to your composition is with a 'Shadow Creator' Faux Venetian Blind Photography Styling Prop. Set out of shot, the prop allows natural or introduced light to pass through and create a Venetian blind pattern to fall across your layered surfaces. Alternatively, the dual-sided 'Noosa' Palm Leaf Shadow Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop (56cm x 87cm) adds a natural element without the need for props at all.
Head In The Clouds
Let's face it, making the most of natural light, sunny skies and fluffy clouds adds a lot to product shots. However, the weather does not always play nice, and all too often, our planned shoot is disrupted by unpredictable weather. If you're shooting products that benefit from a bright and sunny backdrop, take a look at the 'Hawkesbury' Cloudy Sky Flat Lay Instagram Backdrop - (56cm x 87cm). The dual-sided panel features a bright blue cloudy sky on one side and a bright sun flare with a grassy foreground on the other.
Final Thoughts
Social media trends are driving the direction of product photography, and it's clear from what we've all seen that it's a competitive space. If you're going to the trouble to develop compelling visual content creation, it's worth investing the time and resources in high-quality and creative flay lay backgrounds. Use this to your advantage by taking inspiration from the existing flat lay photography background ideas and elevating them to your creative liking. Your Instagram followers will make it all too clear just how successful you have been in visual storytelling. Once you know how you intend to make your images pop, head over to Spectrum for the best flat lay photography backgrounds, lighting and gear.
