Ceiling height photography: How to capture the perfect 'on the bed' style flatlay

Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram and seen an image like the one above and wondered to yourself ‘how did they actually take that shot?’ If you have pondered this exact question, you aren’t alone. The logistics of getting your camera high enough to take in what appears to be a whole bed can be a little puzzling and not everyone has access to drones, tripods or 6ft tall Instagram husbands to help them out.

We have the wonderfully creative Eszter Csáky from Instagram account @myrosymornings sharing her secrets to indoor aerial snapping so you’ll be able to take your flatlay game to new heights. Luckily the trick to snapping from the ceiling is easier than you think and you’ll be able to achieve it at home just by getting crafty with some basic household items.

small cardboard box for creative project

1. Find a box or some cardboard

Any size will do to begin with as you can cut it to fit. In this case, this small one was already nearly the perfect dimensions for an iPhone which is what you’ll be using it to hold.

side panels are cut off small cardboard box

2. Open it up and cut to size

Cut off the sides of the box and any excess parts so you will end up with a long straight length of cardboard.

iphone measurements are drawn onto small cardobard box

[#cta]

3. Measure it to fit your device

Measure the width of your phone and mark it so you know where to fold the cardboard

smartphone measurements are drawn onto small cardboard box

4. Fold the cardboard

Fold the sides in so that it will cradle your device and apply some tape to the tabs so that you can attach it to the ceiling.

cardboard is folded and attached to ceiling

5. Attach it to the ceiling

Use the tape (or your adhesive of choice) to stick the cardboard box to the ceiling and place your phone inside it with the camera facing down

bluetooth remote used to photograph from ceiling

6. Use a remote timer to take the shot

If you are getting in the shot yourself and the 10 second timer isn’t long enough to get into the right position you can use a remote for your smartphone iPhone camera (Note - You can purchase these bluetooth smartphone camera remotes for under $10 online!)