Love Lilacs? Here Are Three Free Stock Photos

This was a really special week, for one reason - lilacs!

I love this flower - the color, the smell, and how beautiful they look!

During this time at home, I've been finding peace in literally stopping to smell the flowers. I've been watching and listening to the birds (they are SO loud and I love it!), and I've been getting to know my neighbors a bit more. From a distance, of course!

The thing about lilacs is, they don't last very long at all. So, when the blossoms started opening up, I jumped to grab my camera. It was that beautiful time of day we call "golden hour", where the sun is low and glowing warm, soft light.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP

"Golden Hour" is the time of day that is considered ideal for taking photos, especially portraits - an hour after the sun rises, and an hour before the sun sets. The light is soft and flattering, and usually diffused because it isn't above the treeline yet. Midday sun is more difficult (but not impossible) because the light tends to be more direct, stronger and casts harsh, unflattering shadows on faces from high in the sky. If shooting in direct midday sun, I highly recommend finding an area in the shade of a tree or building.

Get Three Free Stock Photos of Lilacs

These are high res photos that you can print and display, or use them for your business to complement your social media posts, IG stories, blog post content, email newsletters - I want you to enjoy them, and share the beauty!

Credit is not required, the photos are yours to use, but if you choose to give photo credit, it’s always appreciated! You can tag me on Instagram @shannonsorensencreative and I’d love to see how you use them!

How to Shoot Natural Light Flat Lays in Your Home

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Sometimes I get an idea to record a tutorial and then it blooms into this whole thing. This is the thought process behind this post today…

I made some bread!

I’m going to eat the bread for breakfast. Oh, it looks kind of nice on the plate! I should take a picture.

I should do a quick set up and actually make this look nice so I can share it on my Instagram.

If I’m doing this much, I might as well record HOW I’m doing it. And share it to IGTV. And Youtube. And throw the video in a blog post and…

This is what it’s like being a content creator. Once you start in on an idea, your brain spirals out into a million directions of how to use the content to optimize the reach.

I’ll probably send this to my email list, too.

In this video, I did a very quick, basic setup in my front kitchen window while Andrew watched our steps being torn apart outside. I’ll link to the things I used below if you want to explore creating an at-home product or flat lay setup.

Whether you’re photographing food, products, or a lifestyle flatlay, all you really need is space on a table or floor near a diffused natural light source. A “diffused natural light source” is sunlight that is coming through a window, maybe filtered with sheer white curtains or an overcast day. You want bright, but diffused light, not full direct sunlight (that would be too bright and create harsh shadows). Think of it like the clouds, or sheer curtains, are creating a soft, even light.

Here’s the video tutorial!

Things I used:

Vinyl faux marble background - This 3 pack is great if you plan on doing different styles of flat lays.

White foam core boards - I like the smaller size to use as reflectors, and the bulk pack because they can get beat up and bent (or stolen by my kids for art projects)

That’s it! I shot and edited on my iPhone using Adobe Lightroom Mobile (free to download and use) and my own editing presets, which will be for sale in my shop soon! If you want to grab them as soon as their available, sign up for my email, because a little birdie told me my email list will be getting early access and a discount code.

I have a couple other backgrounds that give a good variety of options, depending on the look you’re going for! There are solid colors for a clean pop, and double sided marble and stone. I’m also a fan of these square board sets when you are looking for an especially branded look.