As I only posted about creating the perfect flay lay just the other day I thought it would be fitting to follow up with an eBay themed Flat Lay Photography post. Especially as I find all my blog photography bargains on eBay!
Below find everything from the inexpensive vinyl backgrounds I use to my favourite props and gap fillers that really do work well with so many different flat lay themes.
1. Artifical Silk Roses/Flowers (£2.69 HERE)
Fake flowers are some of my most used props in my own blog photography. While real flowers are nice their shelf life simply isn't long enough. The above artifical roses come in yellow, white, light pink and red, and appear to come on one stem with multiple rose buds that can easily be divided into two using a pair of clippers or wire cutters. Artifical flowers work in countless flay lay themes laid down and really do add interest without taking away from your focal point.
2. Dried Rose Petals (£1.79 HERE)
Another floral props I couldn't be without is dried rose petals. I ordered a 5g sample over a year ago and it's still going strong for filling in white space/gaps in my flat lays.
3. Handheld Light Reflector 30cm (£5.49 HERE)
Every time I take my blog photos I use a silver reflector to diffuse shadows and brighten up the overall image. The one I use if this 100cm large one, however, I personally find it too large and it could definitely benefit from a handle to grip it better. Which is why I decided to share this one! It's cheap and really is big enough for most flat lay images and importantly comes with a handle!
4. Vinyl Film for Photography Backgrounds (£7.99 Marble HERE | £10.94 Wood HERE)
Multiple backgrounds for flat lays are a must! The easiast way is to pick up some vinyl film of your choice and apply it to a piece of lightweight board. The vinyl film above comes with self-adhesive backing so it's a DIY job that should only take 5 minutes and your board will last years as it benefits from being wipe clean! I couldn't be without my own DIY marble background.
5. White Power Tack (£1.65 HERE)
If you take photos for your blog and don't own white tack then you need to get on it! White tack is basically a saviour for keeping products from rolling around and in place. Even if the products you are shooting stay put they generally won't naturally lay showing the label so a tiny piece of white tack pretty much comes in handy everytime you take a flat lay that includes products. A total must buy!
6. 12-Piece Pink or Black Eyeshadow Set (£2.66 HERE)
Much like fake flowers, makeup brushes make the ideal blog prop. They can be paired together or placed separately and really help to fill in empty spaces. I use to use makeup brushes from my own makeup collection but after realising my brushes would often be dirty I decided to pick up a few cheap sets. This set was one of them as they are not only pretty but you get 12 brushes for under £3, which is just amazing!
7. 8-Piece Rose Gold Makeup Brush Set (£3.67 HERE)
I also find metallic makeup brushes always look good due to how shiny they are. So I love this set of 8 brushes and think they would look really good in a lot of flat lay images. Rings also make a good prop to fill gaps! These £1.49 ones include 12 gold rings and are just super inexpensive.
8. Micro Wire Fairy Lights (battery operated) (£2.95 HERE)
Fairy lights can add a nice touch to a blog image however they are generally uncooperative and the plastic coated wires can look a bit messy. Which is why I had to suggest these stunning wire fairy lights. As it's one long piece and not a tangled loop you can place these in any shape or way you like and can even wrap them around products you are shooting. These are so handy to have and give off a nice warm white glow.
9. Choose Happy Trinket Dish (£2.99 HERE)
In my blog photography cupboard I have a tower of different trinket dishes as they work so well in flat lays. Whether you place a few rings on them or leave the dish empty it will look pretty and fill space. This is the cheapest trinket dish I could find on eBay and I think it's pretty lovely for only £2.99 delivered!
10. Double Faced Silk Ribbon (£1.25 HERE)
Much like dried rose petals, using ribbon is a nice accessory that doesn't detract from your focal product(s) but still looks pretty. It also helps to give your flat lay a stronger colour theme. For example only last week I was shooting a range of red lipsticks (see images here) and found I didn't own many red items to fill the space with, so I simply curled a few lengths of red ribbon around my fingers and placed them into the shot! This listing contains over 20 colours of ribbon so it's ideal for picking up a few key colours such as black, pink and antique gold.
11. Acrylic Trays x 2 (£5.99 HERE)
While a makeup tower wouldn't work in a flat lay situation as they are tall and that isn't perceived well from above, taking out the drawers and using them as acrylic trays does work well! This is possibly my favourite trick as acrylic trays are on the pricey side. This unit is not only cheap but will provide you with two trays and you can even re-purspore the rest of the unit for storing makeup palettes in by standing it up!
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