Knolling - The Trend Of Overhead Photography

What Is Knolling Photography?

The word knolling may be unfamiliar to you, but its meaning is not. Knolling is a type of photography that you see almost on a daily basis on social media. Those overhead shots where products or items are arranged on a flat surface at parallel or 90-degree angles in a symmetrical order—that is knolling photography. Knolling is also called “flat lay” photography. Not only is knolling photography pleasing to the eye, but it allows people to see several individual objects in one photograph. Objects in knolling photography are grouped together for a purpose. They could all relate to fashion, food, machines, or they simply share the same color palette.

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Where Did Knolling Come From?

In 1987, Andrew Kromelow was a janitor at Frank Gehry’s furniture store. Gehry was working on designs for the brand Knoll, named after Florence Knoll, whose furniture was known for being very angular. Kromelow would collect whatever tools were still out at the end of the day and he would arrange them in right angles on a flat solid surface and take overhead photos of them. He called this knolling because it reminded him of the angular style of Knoll furniture.

Tom Sachs was an artist who worked with Gehry and saw these photos that Kromelow had taken, and decided to create some knolling photography pieces. He had a motto for those pieces, “Always be knolling”, and after that it became a popular trend that’s still seen today.

So now that you have that bit of photography history fresh in your mind, feel free to impress all your friends with that terminology the next time they like a knolling photography post on Instagram.

Why Use Knolling Photography in Your Digital Marketing Designs?

Next time you organize a professional photoshoot for an advertisement or social media image, try the knolling method. Why? Here are a few key benefits:

• People find knolling photography fascinating, so it will immediately capture your audience’s attention.
• Incorporating a social media trend like knolling into your digital marketing designs can help boost your business profile.
• Knolling makes your products stand out and become the clear focal point of a marketing image.
• By showcasing complementary products with a single theme, knolling can make viewers automatically link several of your products together.
• Knolling enables you to reflect your brand in a clean, uncluttered way while still injecting it with your unique personality.

Choose Alt Media Studios for Expert Cleveland Web Design & Social Media Management

Our graphic designers and social media analysts here at Alt Media Studios can implement powerful marketing trends such as knolling photography into your web design, social media posts, and advertising materials. Partner with our Cleveland digital marketing agency to elevate your brand online and take your business to new heights!