Set-up required

Example from the video:

Equipment & Location

What you need to need to flat-lay is a clear area on the floor, natural lighting, and a camera. It helps massively if the background is visually pleasing as a backdrop, matching the mood and if the lighting clearly illuminates the product with no shadows cast over it. Therefore somewhere beside a big window that provides soft light and not sunlight is best. The location is vital so make sure you get it right and don't forget a good camera will make all the difference when it comes to quality. Sadly when I started, I had none of those, so I had to build a set-up and invest in some equipment so I could flat-lay anytime! This ended up being the best way to flat-lay effectively.

Remember:

• Camera
• Backdrop
• Lighting

Cameras

It is no doubt that a better camera improves the quality of a flat-lay image. Since I have started flat-laying I have never used a professional camera, only an iPhone. A professional camera like a DSLR or Sony would obviously make a difference but it is far less efficient than using an iPhone for reselling in quantity. The quality of the photo should be optimised for mobile viewing and quick upload speeds so the difference in quality is not needed if you are using the latest iPhone models. As of March 2025 I currently use the iPhone16 pro which I highly recommend. Before that I used the 14 pro and the camera is just as good, but optimisation is better on the 16 pro. The 16pro is worth it if you are going to carry out the rest of your tasks on your phone like I do. The Apple intelligence feature will also have useful implications for automation in the future. If the 16pro is out of budget I would then recommend the 14pro but nothing after that. Overall professional cameras only offer a quality increase but they lack efficiency, making the iPhone my personal favourite choice for bulk flat-lay photos. There may be better cameras but the user interface is unmatched for me and it can be a hub for all your business needs, which is why I've ended up with two and an iPad! I'm bias.

The set-up & backdrop

Building a flat-lay set-up or dedicating a flat-lay area on the floor is vital for a functioning resell business. I'm going to cover a budget beginner set-up, allowing you to flat-lay anywhere with good lighting so you can clear clutter or test your hand at reselling before taking a big leap. An intermediate set-up that will allow you to take your photos to the next level and finally a professional set-up that will change your business completely.

These set-ups presume you have an iPhone 14pro or later. If you do not and you want to take reselling seriously I highly recommend you get one.

Location and lighting

Something I need to stress is how important the location of your set-up is. The best method is to pick somewhere that gets great soft natural light, but not sunlight. Hardwood floor is a very popular backdrop that looks great and should be used if you have it! It can also save time on editing if you get a great natural location, however you can only shoot during the day and remember to use a reflector. A reflector fills in any shadows or dark areas, improving your image quality. You can use a white piece of card or buy a silver reflector from Amazon. If you have a hard time finding a spot that is well lit then just blackout the room or soften the light and use the studio lights and a reflector. I take flat-lays constantly which is why I like to use the whiteboards, which also act as reflectors and the studio set-up mentioned above. The downside of this method is having to edit all the photos but it is worth the extra effort and I will talk about how to efficiently edit later.

Beginner, £0

As I stated in the introduction, the only thing you need to flat-lay is a clear area on the floor, natural lighting, and a camera. Which is exactly what this set-up is. Find a spot on the floor or a large table that has very good natural lighting. It is important that the location looks good visually as this will make buyers more likely to be attracted to your product compared to others in the feed. If you cannot find an attractive location then you can edit the background later, provided the lighting is suitable. You could also use a piece of wood, vinyl or anything you have that makes your product pop. Clean the area to get rid of any dirt or debris, people don't want to see clothes they are going to buy sitting in a dirty area. Flat-lay the product using the guide associated and make this your dedicated area so all your photos are the same location. Depending on your image background, edit your photos and add shadows, now they are ready to upload. You can use this method to get your side hustle started and to improve your skills before investing further. This method is terrible if you have lots of products to list as you rely on natural light being consistent, taking product photos over a long period of time they will all appear slightly different and you are restricted to when you can photograph. Overall if you want to practise before any investment, if you have a phone you can start flat-laying with this method.

Intermediate, £100

Now you want to upgrade your set-up, thankfully it is low cost and very easy. I recommend buying two, 2m long white wooden furniture boards from B&Q and setting them up side by side on the floor or raised. They are a good thickness, easy to clean and sturdy. If 2m is too big or you are tight on space you can get them cut to size for free in B&Q. This provides the perfect white backdrop allowing the studio lights to reflect without interference and making editing the photos a breeze. Since we no longer want to rely on natural light, our next most affordable option is to get two soft-box studio lights with bulbs from Amazon. These are usually on sale for £60 a pair, sometimes if you are lucky they are reduced and you can get an affordable LED set-up instead. The bulb lights are a great affordable option but they are not the best available. If you can afford it skip Intermediate and go straight to the professional set-up as the only difference is the lighting costs.

Professional, £300

There is levels to this. Afterall I am not a lighting expert, somewhere out there a real photographer is weeping at me calling my £300 set-up professional but when it comes to reselling this is ultimately the highest level I have found after nearly a decade in the industry. You can go more extreme but it comes at a cost The set-up utilises the same whiteboards but with improved lighting. Upgrade to 4 studio soft box LED lights with at least one being on a light stand. I prefer rectangle and square soft boxes over the hexagons as they take up less space but the preference is up to you. This will allow you to replicate natural lighting at any time of the day, making sure your flat-lays always pop. The LED lights use less energy than the bulbs and their light coverage is much more effective. I recommend the Andoer type 3 soft box lighting kit paired with the Raleno kit. I use the two Raleo at the front because they are a smaller square softbox and the two Andoer at the back, with the light stand when it's needed.