I have now been isolating for almost 12 weeks and Wales will continue to be in lockdown for at least another two weeks. When I was considering the idea of self-isolation (due to being vulnerable) I decided that I would need to use the time productively and make it into a positive experience because it would otherwise become a very long & difficult experience. I went into lockdown on the 14th of March and just prior to this I ordered some photography backdrops from @clubstyling via their Etsy shop. I ordered a bundle of three different backdrops and promised myself I would work on creating some images for my blog and social media accounts.
In early January I participated in an awareness challenge for #heartmonth on Instagram which involved posting a picture a day based on a daily theme. I realised then that whilst I take lots of photos I didn't have enough stylised photos I could use. This is why I decided to learn about flatlay photography. A lot of social media accounts have some very stylised photos and whilst their subjects may vary their style rarely does. My blog has always been very "real" and I rarely stage photos although I do try and put some thought into how it will eventually look. I've spent some time watching youtube (you can learn almost anything on Youtube) on how to produce a flatlay scene. Last week I finally took the plunge and began playing with my backdrops.
Right now many of us are confined to our own homes and we don't have a spare room . But my photography group taught me that you don't need a large space and that you create some amazing photos almost anywhere. With that in mind I have a taken over our dining room table. The only additional purchase I made was "Command strips" which were recommended by a friend to fix the backdrop to the table. You can use double sided tape or blue-tack.
In Wales those of us who are "shielding" have been advised to continue to do so until the 15th of August. Although I will likely continue way beyond that date. Which gives me plenty of time for developing my creativity. My only restriction is a lack of inspiration & therefore I have developed. a few themes I can work on and hopefully that will mean I can identify props . At the moment I'm just enjoying experimenting with flatlay photography.