To make a top-down flat lay look straight and evenly lit, get the camera as high above the scene as possible and use a longer focal length. Shooting from higher up reduces perspective distortion, so the frame looks more parallel and items near the edges won’t bulge outward as much. A tripod at maximum height works well; some photographers position the camera over the layout and shoot through the tripod legs.

For lighting, use a very soft light source to avoid harsh shadows. Large window light, such as from patio doors, can work very well, or use flash bounced off a plain white ceiling for broad, even illumination. Soft light helps keep the scene bright and minimizes strong shadows from both the objects and the photographer.

The key points are:

• camera as high as possible above the subject
• longer focal length for a more natural, less distorted top-down look
• very soft, broad lighting for even brightness and fewer shadows