Online shopping is growing rapidly, making it crucial to ensure your products, particularly clothing, look their best. Different styles of product photography are essential for online apparel sales. Understanding these styles is crucial before starting. Planning and preparing for your product photography session is essential. Here are some helpful tips on apparel product photography Montreal.
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Preparing Your Apparel
Unless you’re shooting for a vintage clothing store, always use clean, new items. Remember to iron your clothes. This may seem too obvious to mention, but it’s surprising how often we see wrinkled or untidy clothes that have been prepared for a photoshoot. You’re showcasing your products, so make them look their best. Ideally, you’ll have a hand steamer on hand to give them an extra freshen-up just before they’re photographed, but at the very least, keep an iron and board nearby. A clothes brush and a lint roller are also useful tools to have in your kit. Once the clothing has been prepared, double-check to ensure that all labels and stickers have been removed. We’re photographing the clothes, not the price tag or the washing instructions.
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Modelling Your Apparel
You have several options here, which will be determined by your budget as well as the type of clothing and store that you are selling on, as each eCommerce platform has unique requirements. For clothing, you will most likely want to model the items in some way, and you have several options for this, such as the following:
By using the Mannequins and Ghost Mannequins in Apparel Modelling
A mannequin is a good alternative to a live model because it retains the natural shape of the clothing and still looks like it is being worn. While they cannot be used to create lifestyle shots, they are extremely useful for another type of apparel product photography: ghost mannequin images. Ghost mannequin photos are taken using a real mannequin, which is then removed from the image during post-production editing. This produces an image that depicts the clothes in their full ‘being worn’ shape while avoiding the distraction of the mannequin itself in the photo. If you use mannequin images as your main product photo, some ecommerce photography Montreal even requires a ghost mannequin shot.
By using Model Photography in Apparel Modelling
If you can arrange it, use a model; if it is within your budget, hire a professional. Model shots have a significant advantage because they show the clothes as they were intended to look. These can be white-background studio shots or contextual lifestyle shots featuring the model in a scene. Both are effective in helping customers imagine how the clothing will look on them. Lifestyle shots can create scenes in a customer’s mind, such as seeing the suit in the office or the dress at a party and picturing themselves wearing them in that context in a photograph.
By Using Flatlay Photography in Apparel Modelling
A simple flatlay photo can achieve a lot, despite being less tidy and presentable than model and mannequin shots. These create a more casual image that works better for social media promotions than your eCommerce store. A flatlay is exactly what it sounds like clothing laid out on a flat surface to be photographed from above. Clothes laid out in this fashion appear wider than they do when worn, especially tops, so one trick is to pad them out slightly with tissue paper to give them some form. This increases the item’s volume as it returns to its more natural shape.
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Shooting Guidelines
To create a successful clothing photoshoot, it’s important to include a minimum of three images of each item, including 45° angles. The goal is to have 5–10 images per item, with lifestyle photos included. A variety of styles, including model, ghost mannequin, and lifestyle shots, are most effective. Infographic images can highlight features like waterproof liners or hidden pockets. If clothing comes in multiple colours, it’s best to wear them all, either through a group shot or post-production. For example, a T-shirt photo can be digitally retouched multiple times to showcase all colours.
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360-degree images
360° images can provide a unique perspective on a model or mannequin shot. This is slightly more difficult to photograph and present on your store page, but the result is an image that the customer can rotate a full 360°. This means they can look at the clothes from all angles. It is also an excellent way to engage the customer, and the ability to control the model generates a very positive response.
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Extra Tools
Aside from studio equipment, a professional shoot requires a few product photography Montreal accessories. Pins, clips, masking tape, and a reel of fishing line should all be included in your shooting kit to help hold, shape, and lift clothing as needed. Depending on the clothing size, some of these items may require a temporary take-in at the back of the model, allowing for the perfect look from the front. A fishing line is useful for holding certain items in place, such as a handbag handle, and can be removed when the photos are retouched.
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Retouching or editing
Once the photos are taken, they will need to be retouched to be ready for use on your eCommerce store, just like any other product photography. Product photography is what sells your clothing on your eCommerce site. Stay ahead of the competition by keeping your product photos fresh and current, as they are the foundation of your marketing success. Every type of clothing can be photographed in a way that fits any budget; if necessary, older photos can be re-edited to give them a fresh, new look that isn’t expensive.
Conclusion
In the end, product photography is crucial for online apparel sales success. Proper preparation, including ironing and de-tagging, is essential. Shooting guidelines recommend using various angles, including front, back, and sides, and lifestyle shots. Utilizing cutting-edge methods like 360-degree photos can enhance the client experience. Having the right equipment and paying attention to detail can improve eCommerce success. Post-production editing is also vital for improving photos. These tips help create a visually captivating story for your clothing line, drawing in customers and staying ahead of the competition.
