In case you were curious, the most popular offering (by far!) on my website is my monthly desktop calendars.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MindingMyNest_January_2024_DesktopCalendar-1024x576.jpg)
It started on a whim in 2015…
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/january-2015-desktop-calendar-1024x576.jpg)
…and since then they have evolved along with my photography.
Making these calendars combines my love of playing with flowers and paper and my vintage treasures. So today I thought it might be fun to give you a peek behind the curtain (so to speak) and share my process for creating the flat-lay still life photo that serves as the base.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_01.jpg)
My process almost always start with flowers, and this time of year that means a trip to the grocery store. In this case it was a stop at Trader Joe’s where I found the prettiest pale coral garden roses. I paired those with a charming bunch of baby’s breath and some winter greens to add some more texture. I also grabbed a few pinecones from the big basket I keep in my studio and some of my favorite little vintage bits and bobs that make a regular appearance.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_02.jpg)
The first thing I do is trim the stems of my flowers and sort the individual types into little piles. Next I usually create a little mini-bouquet to serve as a kind of focal point in my still life.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_04.jpg)
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_05.jpg)
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_06.jpg)
These blooms were still tightly closed so I gently opened up the petals a bit.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_03.jpg)
I then tied my bouquet with some pretty velvet ribbon.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_07.jpg)
Next I scrounged around through my stash of stuff for little elements that would add some interest. I found these cute wooden clothes pins that I hadn’t used in a while and wrapped some ribbon around them.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_08.jpg)
My next step is to loosely arrange all of my elements on my backdrop (a board Tripp made for me out of some old wood fence planks.)
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_10.jpg)
I then played around with the composition until it looked right to me.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_11.jpg)
I really don’t have a good explanation for what “looked right” looks like except that it has a loose visual triangle of the main elements and feels balanced.
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_11a.jpg)
Also, don’t worry if your space looks like this when you’re done…
![](https://mindingmynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/minding-my-nest_flat-lay-start-to-finish_14.jpg)
…that just means you’re doing it right. lol
Anyway, once I was pleased with the composition, I loaded my photos into Lightroom and applied my post-processing. If you are interested in seeing how I edited my photo, I have shared that process on my YouTube channel.
I hope you enjoyed a behind the scenes look at how I create my desktop calendars. They are a joy to make and it always makes my heart so happy to know how much you enjoy them.
Love, Kelly
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