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Top Hacks For Instagram Flat Lays

May 19, 2016 By Faison Weiss 1 Comment

IMG_089705649936-6122-4201-96CA-0A28DABD81DFmwoa marble post-0145

Hey friends! Have you ever wondered how bloggers get those beautiful countertop-styled flat lay photos on their blog and on Instagram? Have you looked at your counters recently and said to yourself, “My house looks nothing like Stephanie’s from Olive and Tate,”? Just a quick sidenote here: if you haven’t seen this beauty of a kitchen that is in Stephanie’s home, your eyeballs haven’t lived. It’s absolutely stunning!

So, the question of the day is this: would you believe me if I told you that these flat lays weren’t photographed on my own countertops? 

(deep breaths) This is a real life, behind-the-scenes look at what regaularly happens at the Weiss Wesidence when it comes to granite-top photos. Here’s this beauty…

mwoa marble post-0145

… and this is what it really looks like.

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I spy a Snoopy animal, one half of a toy car, and a racing rug. Welcome to life with a toddler!

I’ll be honest with you, my house looks nothing like a Pinterest-esque home… like, at all. We currently live in a condo that doesn’t have granite countertops, and instead are faux dark “granite” countertops; I like to call them granité. They reflect light easily and they’re a total pain to work with, so I’ve had to get pretty creative to get those light and bright backgrounds for flat lays and food photography. For a little while I was using “granite” paper found on Etsy, but after a few spills of food and hot chocolates that were being photographed, the paper was ruined and I knew I needed something else. So I went out on a limb, and went to… a discount builder’s supply warehouse.

mwoa marble post-0118-3

This beauty of a shop is in my teeny town of Oxford, Mississippi. This family-owned business has everything from plumbing supplies, to flooring, to supplying marble and granite for new builds and homes that are being remodeled. Remember that phrase, “it’s what is on the inside that counts,”? Well, here it’s “what’s sitting in the parking lot is what counts.” 

mwoa marble post-0106-2

This normally would look like scrap to the average person, but to me this is a photographer’s jackpot! Can you take a guess at what these are? These stacked, mangled strips are scrap pieces from previous marble and granite cuts. Take a closer look!

mwoa marble post-0108-2

mwoa marble post-0112-3

Aren’t these just gorgeous?! These small scrap pieces range in size from tiny to extra large and every wonky size in between, but I try to keep my scraps in a 2ftx2ft size maximum. They’re very heavy, so I need to be able to move a slab from one end of the house to the other without throwing my back out; the struggle to find the best natural light is so real!

So here’s the great part about these scraps: they’re scraps, and they’re pieces from old jobs that most likely won’t be used for any other project and will just sit in the parking lot. How sad! That beautiful slab needs a loving home! Normally these scrapped slabs will be around $20 each, but if you’re really nice to your local discount supply shop employees I’m sure you’ll get them for free- I have, and it only took a smile and a quick introduction to get the F-R-E-E discount. You’ll be taking photos of your pretty lipsticks in no time!

mwoa marble post-0134-2

And there you have it, my granite countertop photography hack! Just make a stop at your local building supply and ask if they have any granite scraps they’re willing to part with- it doesn’t hurt to ask! And heck, they might even help you to your car with your newest photo backdrop. Before you know it you’ll be snapping pictures with your new photography prop and fooling all of your followers that you have beautiful granite countertops, even if you have those that are made of granité. 

TopHacksForInstagram

 

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Filed Under: Blogging

About Faison Weiss

Hi there! I'm Faison (pronounced fay-sun), and I'm a wife, mother to a wild toddler named Walter, and I'm a professional photographer. We recently moved to Orlando, Florida and we're loving it so far, especially because Disney World is so close! We take Walter to Disney World at least three times per week, and it's been an absolute joy capturing his excitement at the happiest place on earth. I fully believe that a handwritten note is the best way to show someone that you care, and that listening to Backstreet Boys in your car on loud is the best remedy for a crummy day.

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Comments

  1. alycia says

    May 20, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    brilliant!!! what a great tip!

    Reply

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Hi, friends! I’m Channing. I am mom to 3 amazing girls and wife to my fire fighting hubby, Eric. I loving sharing all things mom life related – recipes, DIY’s, real mom talk, crafts and more! 

Insta-Moms: @momswoa

Instagram post 17951785348338518 Happy 4th from these little cuties. It looks A LOT different this year but we are still having fun.
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#happy4thofjuly #happyfourth #fourthofjuly #redwhiteandblue #momblog #houstonmomblogger #momofgirls
Instagram post 17856710153004179 #blackouttuesday
Instagram post 17864637601827512 This is what happens on day number 3,568,743 of quarantine: ice cream sundaes for DINNER. We have been spending endless time together and decided it was time to start a new family tradition, so we picked up the new DIY Sundae Kit from @baskinrobbins! The kit comes with 2 pre-packed quarts of ice cream, 3 toppings, an entire can of whipped cream and cherries! Ice
cream for dinner will now be a weekly staple. The kids are definitely not complaining! It’s a fun day with a Sundae! 
Comment below and tell me your favorite Baskin Robbins flavor!

#QuarantineCreations #IceCreamforDinner #FamilyTraditions #ad
Instagram post 17855065096958471 Some of my #DisneyMagicMoments have been with some special moms in my life! So, I’m playing along and sharing some of these moments with you.

I have spent time with old friends and new and the magic is always there. 
If you scroll back far enough, you will see my first Disney experience and the moment I fell in love with Disney with my own mom! 
I would love for you to play along and share your favorite Disney moments with the moms in your life! Don’t forget to use hashtag #disneymagicmoments! I tag @pixiemousemichelle, @fivefortheroadblog and @mrsblinks! 
Happy Mother’s Day! 😘😘
Instagram post 17873430769680209 Happy Cinco de Mayo! 🌮 What is your favorite Mexican dish?

I could eat Mexican for every meal of everyday! If your looking for the perfect recipes to make for dinner, I’ve got you covered. 
Head on over the the blog for all of my favorite dishes! These enchiladas NEVER disappoint! I promise you will LOVE all of these recipes! 🎉
Instagram post 17885629336528535 May the 4th be with you! We cannot wait for the day that we get to be back at Star Wars Galaxies Edge. Batuu, we miss you! #maytheforcebewithyou #may4thbewithyou #disneycreators #batuu #bluemilk #wemissdisney
Instagram post 17850899390014309 Disney is challenging us to share our first pictures with characters! I had to join in the fun and it was the best trip down memory lane. Disney has been threaded throughout my entire life. I pulled a few of my most favorite memories over the years. From partying in the streets during the most epic dance party and meeting our most favorite princesses to me being a kid at Disney myself. Oh, I also had to add a picture of Cinderella’s Castle. She really is the most beautiful cast member of them all! 
@waltdisneyworld we miss you more and more each day. You’ve brought us joy beyond words and we cannot wait for the day when we get to walk down Main Street USA again! 
Ok, now it’s your turn. Find your old photos of your favorite Disney characters and share the magic. Also, don’t forget to tag me. I want to see all your memories too! 
@pixiemousemichelle @ericaligenza and @prettyprovidenceblog it’s time to share yours!#disneymagicmoments #myfirstdisneycharacter #disneycreators #disneyfamily #disneykuds #disneyworld
Instagram post 17904777073435611 EASY EASTER SUGAR COOKIE BARS! [AD] With Easter looking a little different this year, I teamed up with my friends at @hersheys to create a fun Easter treat using items you probably have in your pantry!
These Easter Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make. Store bought sugar cookie mix and cute colorful icing is the perfect foundation for @cadburyusa eggs and @reeses eggs. 
Looking for more treat ideas? Check out the fun recipes at https://Hershey’s.com/kitchen/en_us/home.html

Comment below and tell me your favorite Easter recipes! #cadburyusa #reeses #eastertreats #springdessert
Instagram post 18019712191263346 I’m joining my friend @andhattiemakesthree for #happymondaymemory to share some joy and fun around here!
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Let’s take it back to the #happiestplaceonearth and our time in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! Y’all, I don’t even have words for how amazing it is. And #riseoftheresistance is everything! Check out our video to see for yourself. We miss you @waltdisneyworld and can’t wait to make more memories soon!
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Now it’s your turn! Share your favorite memory and let’s spread some joy! #evereveambassador #disneycreators #starwars #disneyhollywoodstudios #stayhome
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