Behind the Flatlay Instagram

It is not often that I sit down and type off the cuff; most posts are pre-planned, researched if necessary and scheduled but out of the blue I decided to create a new Instagram account, hence this somewhat self-promotional article of sorts.

Last night, I changed my old (and dusty) travel Instagram handle to @behindtheflatlay , deleted all irrelavent content and started again. As you may have guessed based on the name, it is indeed an insight into what goes on behind the scenes to create both blog and Instagram content on a daily basis.

Now you will have to bear with me as this is a fresh-out-the-gate concept and account, so my content is a tad skimpy as of today but I will be working on some walk-through tutorials this weekend (mainly lightroom as it seems to be the most requested and tricky), along with some general camera tip and tricks to get the most out of your equipment without any additional cost. For the record I am fully aware that I am not a professional photographer but over the years I have learnt what works, what doesn't and how to solve most issues - be the technology based or not, so I do have some knowledge to share.

The idea is to build a small community (there is room for everyone) in which we can all learn from one and other; be it photography tips, blogging pointers or general content creation guides. The idea came about after I spent a small fortune on Instagram books via Amazon (I have since returned them) only to find that it was all regurgitated information, not at all helpful for even the most novice of content creators and of course expensive (£13.99 for a book that recommend buying bots - no thanks!). I knew I could offer more and wanted to do so for free and with a human element - which is also a step towards coming out of my shell and putting my physical self out there more (yes making YouTube videos is still on the agenda).

As Instagram is instant, free, interactive and accessible for most I settled on such platform over a traditional blog to free up more time to actually be able to curate (hopefully) helpful posts and guides. So if you are interested in how I create my images of all kinds, my editing process, blog posts and/or simply want an insight to what goes on when I'm not hunched over a white background, then such Instagram account can be found here @behindtheflatlay.

 Quickly I do want to say thank you for the flurry of support that the account has received today, it truly means a lot and if there is anything I can help with please do not be shy in leaving a comment, I will be happy to add it to my to-do list for the account.