How To Photograph Clothing For Your Online Store

Beautiful, expertly taken images are essential for running an e-commerce company; this is not an issue but rather a legal need. Imagine the following: clients who consistently buy from you with no return policies, who tell friends about their happiness, search engines that recommend your online store to everyone looking for clothing-related information, and rivals who are unable to keep up with you. Do you think it cannot be possible? This may happen in a world where photographs influence around 85% of purchasing decisions. Therefore, you surely need stunning, expertly shot images of the clothing you sell. Here are some precious recommendations for you.

Let's start with the main thing - the clothes.

Select the clothes you want to photograph, think about what they will be combined with, and if you want to create an ensemble, choose accessories and, if necessary, props.  In order to accomplish this, it must be displayed in all of its beauty. Regretfully, its allure may be diminished during transit or storage at a warehouse. For this reason, ensure everything is in perfect condition and free of faults that could be seen from an unfavorable angle before shooting photos of clothing at the studio for rent. Thoroughly iron and steam the items, eliminate lint and dust.

What equipment do you need to photograph clothes for an online store?

In order for the photos of clothes in your online store to have a high-end look, you need to surround yourself with professional equipment and tools for the photo shoot:

• Camera with high resolution and the ability to change lenses.
• Lenses with a fixed focal length of 50 mm are more suitable for detailed, clear images. It is also additionally recommended to use wide-angle ones for general plans.
• Lighting can include a whole set of lighting fixtures. These include softboxes, studio lights, individual flash units, lighting controllers, and reflectors.
• Stands and holders for fixing equipment and backgrounds.
• Tripod is important in stabilizing the image, sequencing shots, and preventing blurring effects.
• Reflectors and diffusers will help to create the right atmosphere on the site, and control light, glare, and shadows.
• Computer and software for downloading, retouching, and further processing of photos.

Obviously, having the appropriate tools around you is more than just necessary to get the job done; it's also highly challenging and expensive. Renting a photo studio is advised to photograph clothing for the web business. It comes with all you need and is operational right now. Automatic studios are also pertinent because they can do most tasks without the assistance of experts or photographers.

Selecting a background for the photo of clothes for an online store

• White background is considered more winning. It creates a clean and not distracting look. Suitable to photograph almost any clothes for the online store, emphasizing its color and texture, drawing attention to details.
• Black background is rarely used, but it’s bright and contrasting to the clothes, it gives elegance and makes the image of things more expressive.
• Gray background perfectly emphasizes the texture of fabrics, cut details, and decorative elements, it gives the necessary depth and highlights white, light, or pastel clothes.
• Colored background is used to create a special impression and mood, to create an image of a unique style, and to accentuate the tone.
• Bright, saturated, neon background can be also used but you should be careful with it and use it for an audience that can appreciate such a solution, for example, teenagers, children, and athletes.

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What are the best types of clothing photography for an online store?

You can use different techniques to photograph clothes professionally. Let's focus on the most relevant ones that really sell.  

• Flat styling for photographing clothes for an online store

This technique is considered the most popular and fairly simple type of clothing photography in the studio. Flat styling will emphasize the shape and details of an item, and is usually used for more basic closet items. The clothes are neatly laid out on a flat surface, the background is simply white or gray. The lighting can be chosen to be as natural as possible. Pictures are taken mainly from above, perpendicular to the surface. When photographing flat styling, there is one negative point - unwanted shadows can appear and highlight folds, so apply diffused light and retouching.

• Photographing clothes on a hanger for an online store

Photographing clothing on a hanger in the studio allows you to concentrate all of the emphasis on the clothes for your online store. Pass the fabric's texture, cut, and style, as well as the stitching details with the draping, through the picture! There is no need for extra setup or props for this kind of picture. Any hanger will do, as long as it's subtle and matches the image's aesthetic, but the ghost hanger is a very well-liked choice. Make use of diffusers with light boxes to help create soft lighting that won't create shadows in the picture. Select the ideal viewpoint; although you can take pictures from various vantage points, the object ought to be at eye level. The best image of clothing on a hanger will highlight items with light-colored textiles.

• Photo of clothes on ghost mannequins for online store.

Using a ghost mannequin allows you to visualize and make real clothes by providing a three-dimensional image. You can immediately see how the thing will look live on the body, by considering the details of the style, shape, and silhouette, the features of the cut, and the designer's idea. Clothes made of dense or elastic fabrics with complex designs will look great on a transparent mannequin. A special mannequin and inserts, as well as gentle but brilliant enough lighting, are needed for photography. Since the ghost effect is created by taking numerous pictures from various angles and using amazing post-processing, this type of work takes more time and calls for specialized knowledge and professionalism. Because of the reductions, large orders can be fairly advantageous, despite the fact that it is quite expensive.

• Photo of clothes for online store on the model

The most effective shooting of clothes for an online store is studio photography on the model. It will best demonstrate your product and add a special status to it. Note that all significant clothing brands use precisely this kind of shooting, so why not get into the league of the best? To take photos, you need to pick a model, you will also need a makeup artist, hairdresser, and image creator. For a photo shoot, you need to use a particular background, more lights, and special camera settings.

Suggestions and practical advice for taking effective clothing photos for an online store

• Take care of the number of pictures attached to the product card of each model of clothing. 1-2 photos will not say anything about any product and will not sell it; most likely, the buyer will quickly leave your store. Place 4-7 diverse photos for each position, and they will reveal all the advantages of the product.
• Choose the right angle, and show how the thing looks from all sides, while the camera should not change the shooting point.
• Follow the style - photos of all clothes should be taken in the same atmosphere, keeping the sequence and proportions of the images.
• Tell the story of each piece of clothing. Start with a front and side view, and continue by combining different pieces of clothing. This will enhance the effect and encourage you to buy the whole created image.
• Keep the resolution of the clothing photos high, so that when you enlarge the photo, the image is not distorted, and the buyer can see the important details. The ideal minimum size is considered to be 1024x1024 pixels. However, you should careful, even compressed pictures over 2400x2400 pixels may be hard to download.
• Keep an eye on the clarity of the pictures. It's important for the buyer to see all the details of the garment, from the texture of the fabric to the quality of the tailoring.
• Plan the photo shoot ahead of time, select and pack consistently to make the process quicker and more organized.
• Determine shooting angles - the generally accepted standard is to have details and close-ups shot at ¾.
• Pay attention to how much space the item takes up in the frame. It is ideal when the clothing is centered and takes up to 85-100% of the frame area.
• Make sure the camera is level and that the horizons are running downward when taking pictures of apparel for an online store. Leveling may be done during retouching, of course, but when everything can be done in one step, why even bother?
• Also, watch out for symmetry and even placement of clothes in the frame. The symmetrical arrangement brings aesthetics and harmony to the viewer's experience. Asymmetry, on the contrary, acts repulsively on the buyer.
• Do not use an amateur camera and built-in flash - such a photo will initially look unprofessional.
• Do not copy photos of competitors, even if the clothes you sell are the same. Buyers and search engines value uniqueness much higher.
• Take more pictures - even using the services of a professional photographer with a quality camera, you may not always get a good shot. From a large number of shots, you can choose the best result, which will require less retouching.
• Avoid going overboard. Naturally, retouching is a miracle tool for many people that can fix any circumstance; but, if you go overboard, you risk ruining the shot. It is preferable to order retouching in the studio you rent if you want effective results.
• Make close-ups to show the texture of the fabric, the type of stitching, elements of decoration, and clasps.

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How to choose a photo studio to photograph clothes professionally?

Every famous brand or clothing store uses exclusively the services of professional studios, because high-quality bright photos are the key to a successful business. Therefore, if you want to feel professional and invest in well-being, you should also turn to professionals. When choosing a photo studio for rent near you, pay attention to its reputation, and reviews, and look through the portfolio. Find out whether it has top-notch equipment, how the shooting is done, and if you can handle things automatically or if a photographer is needed. The success of the outcome can be determined by the capabilities of the service provider. Discuss available services and come to a pricing. The quantity of subjects or the amount of time needed to shoot may affect the price.

Conclusion

Clothing sales in an online store are impossible without photography. Superior, flawless studio photography of clothing is a craft that establishes and grows a prosperous business and gives it a unique character. For this reason, it is crucial that customers who visit your online store view high-quality product photos. This is a difficult procedure; you have to choose the studio, the gear, the kind of shot you want, and how to be ready for the session. Still, you'll be happy with the outcome if you save money and time. So don't hesitate to take action and get in touch with a reputable studio that can help you realize all of your fashion-forward visions!

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