In Case You Missed It: My Top Down Flatlay Setup

My overhead rig setup is my new boo.

I posted a video to my IG Story at the end of this stressful, gut-wrenching, glorious week* of me (laughably) putting together the final touches on an overhead rig.

Yes, laugh at my pain.

The video got a good amount of attention…and some questions. Forward through my “Other Stuff” to see the video of My Friday Fail.

I had a few hiccups, but, when I finally got the rig together, it was SO worth it! A huge ‘thank you’ to Natalie of Threeologie who shared her process for presentation in her new Lettering Class. It’s not just a basic lettering class (you know how I feel about that), although it does cover her process for that. This class also dives into Natalie’s experience working in the business of lettering. You should give it a look-see if you’re interested in turning your lettering into a hustle at some point.
One of the best pieces of information she shared was her gear for top down photography.
Top down photography is all the rage and if you follow the #flatlayeveryday hashtag on Instagram, you know why. The photos are scrumptious! 🥰 It’s a skill composing that kind of eye candy. But, before you can even get to that, you have to setup.
And there lies the rub.
Rigging is not always so easy. It can take quite a bit of time if you don’t know where to start. There are many creative solutions to accomplish a great overhead photo (like this one or this one here - or even this one by one of my lettering heroes, Ian Barnard). But I haven’t found any so far to top the Glide Gear rig suggested by Natalie in her class.
Natalie has a beautifully large window to put hers where she can get that lovely, free daylight for her images. Swoon. Alas, I don’t have a place in my home where I can place a desk in front of a window. In fact, my workroom is in my dungeon of a basement. Even though GiGi (I’ve nicknamed my rig) is light enough to port around, I just like things to stay setup, if possible. So my setup looks more like this below.

If it looks super spooky, it’s because it is. In my basement, I have to turn the lights off for photos so the lighting doesn’t get so mixed with the indoor, house lights in the basement. I’ve attached some cost-effective, LED lights which is where the light is coming from in the photos using this setup. I am waiting for some arms that will allow me to get the lights closer to a subject if need be. But this isn’t bad for my needs, so far.
I have setup other solutions for overhead shots over the years.

This one is probably the best next to the Glide Gear. It’s just a bit more involved. It’s a tripod that allows me to adjust the shaft for overhead photos. But, if I’m using much more than a phone, it needs a weight.  I also have two tabletop lights (one ihiding there…) and one larger, again cost-effective light above them. I use what I need when I need it.

All in all I like Natalie’s solution better.

Beyond that, I need to get my editing down with this. Most of that comes down to taste and sticking to a consistent workflow. Not my strong suit at all. Not to mention, for me, it depends on what kind of time I have on my hands.
If I’m working, I’m usually using my phone. If I’m not, I could be using other equipment that I have for other walks of life.

They haven’t been getting much workout since the initial quarantine. But, I figure, now that we’re going into hybrid at my school it’s time to take them back out…and since I’ve taken this lettering thing so seriously, they’ll likely make guest appearance here too from time to time. For now, my phone is getting the lion’s share of the work, which is just as well…since it can pick up less information than my cameras, less memory is needed. But, while I feel like the top down aspect is covered, I haven’t perfected exactly how I want these photos to look.
Here’s a photo I took in my basement versus one I took upstairs near a window.

I love the warmer feel of daylight. 🥰 Meh. I’m working on it.
Do you plan on trying out a Glide Gear? Or do you have another solution that has been working out for your projects? I’d love to see your setup!

* Congratulations to the Biden-Harris Team! 😊