Kat (aka Laydey Katabella) recently organised a brilliant Instagram photography party for members of the Cambs Meet Up blogging group.
She couldn’t have chosen a more perfect setting than the Wild Frost Cafe, which is in the market town of Ramsey near to Huntingdon. Not only does it serve up scrumptious cakes and other baked delights within its stylish vintage interior but it is also a florists.
Our hosts had gone to great effort to fill the space with seasonal blooms for us and every inch of the place had something beautiful and interesting to photograph, so we were in our element.
Kat brought along a box of props and accessories for us to experiment with. She’d even made us all an adorable handmade keepsake flip book of photography tips to take home which she talked through as she demonstrated how she composes the perfect flatlay.
I definitely need some coffee this morning! I hope you
all had the best bank holiday. Let’s kick Tuesday’s butt 👊🏻 #yougotthis #flatlay #coffee #tuesday #instapretty #quote
#beautifulblooms #bbloggers #fbloggers #youtube #lbloggers
photo posted by laydey_katabella (@laydey_katabella) on
We set to work rearranging every cup, fork and spoon in sight and liberally scattering accessories around the tables until we had all nailed our perfect Instagram shot.
There was only one rule: Nobody touches the cake until it’s been snapped within an inch of it’s life!
…which made us enjoy it all the more when we finally got to tuck in, with Kat doing the honours!
Here are some of my favourite tips taken from the day plus a few of my own!
You could be mistaken for thinking that every beauty blogger’s house is full of marble and all food bloggers have gorgeous rustic kitchens with stripped wooden floors. I’ll let you in on a secret though, many use trusty DIY wallpaper and tile samples! Kat brought along a selection for us to experiment with and they create such pretty backdrops.
Try experimenting with different patterns to see which work best with your images. You could try white painted brickwork, oak wood or even vintage patterned prints, each will give a different look and feel.
Accessories placed around your focal point will add interest to an image and can help to create a story. For a travel inspired picture you could add a passport cover, some travel money and sunglasses to your shot, or for a pretty beauty shot try adding buttons, beads and jewellery.
Don’t overclutter your images, keep things nicely spaced. Don’t be afraid to have some things going out of shot too, it can help draw the eye to your focal point.
If you’re not sure whether your image is too cluttered, remove a couple of items to be on the safe side, your first instinct is usually right!
Mix up where the main focal point is in your images. Sometimes the subject might be dead centre, but experiment with moving things off to one side and leaving some negative space – it can give a really nice contrast.
5. PLAY AROUND WITH ANGLES
I like to take lots of shots from different angles and then compare them all to pick the best one for the subject. Some things look better with more contrast and depth so I choose a 45 degree angle, whereas others look better as a flatlay (birdseye shots looking straight down).
A BIG thank you to Kat and to the Wild Frost Cafe for hosting such a wonderful party.
…and if you’re not already following me on Instagram, then you really should click here! (Shameless plug over!!)
Do you enjoy Instagram? What draws you to follow someone’s feed? Let me know in the comments!
