Knolling
Before you learn how to Knoll, you probably want to know what this strange word is refering to... Knolling or 'flat lay' photography as it is also known is a popular design term used to shape brands and market products in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
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Knolling is a process whereby objects are arranged at 90 degree angles from each other and then photographed from above. "Knolling creates a look that is very symmetrical and pleasing to the eye, and it also allows people to see many objects at once in a single photograph".
Knolling has gathered a lot of attention through Instagram recently, with Instagram accounts dedicated solely to knolling and flat lay photography.
It is said that knolling was started by Andrew Kromelow, a janitor at a furniture store known as Frank Gehry's furniture store. Gehry's was designing for a company called Knoll and they were well known for designing angular furniture. At the end of each day Kromelow would clean up and gather all of the loose tools and arrange them in angles to one another. He called this Knolling in reference to the angular furniture that they were working on.
Knolling eventually became popular by the artist Tom Sachs and by 1987 it had officially become a trend. The image below is by Tom Sachs and it is his description of how to Knoll.
It's such a fun way to display products and it always looks so beautiful. After reading this article I am so excited to give it a go!
You can read more about Knolling or flat lay photography here and go and have a browse at the Flat Lay Instagram account while you're at it! It's super inspiring to see what people get up to on there.
