Clothing images are the bridge that connects your brand with your potential customers. These images are the only source your customers rely on to make their purchasing decision. For this reason, you need consistent creative ideas to make the clothing images appealing to the customers.
Are you looking for tips and tricks for capturing photos that will make your clothes sell? You’ve landed on the right spot.
In this guide, we will share with you 7 amazing photography tips on how to take the best pictures of your clothes to sell online. Our guidelines will definitely make your outfits look professional and attractive.
Let’s brush up on your clothing photography skills.
Product photography is a vast genre. Every product has some unique features that require some special photography techniques and apparel is no exception. Clothing items come in different shapes, sizes and materials. Some look good in a minimalist setup, while others in a 3D presentation. So, having a comprehensive idea of overall clothing photography can help you capture the best shots that will make the products sell at first glance.
Here are 7 effective tips to photograph your clothing product and take sales to next levels.
1. Make Sure Your Items Look Good
The first and most important thing that will make your clothing sell is its premium look. Let’s say you came across a clothing advertisement while browsing social media. The outfit shown in that ad is placed on an unappealing background and the dress looks dull with too many wrinkles. Will you ever think of buying that dress? Obviously the answer will be a big no!
One of the main reasons behind this rejection is the negative impression. The poor-quality photo captured without any preparation makes the clothing items appear low quality. Hence, whether you run a clothing brand or a thrift store, you need to use the best quality images that will attract the customers to checkout the outfits.
Here are a few tips you should follow to make your garments look their best.
Make the Apparel Smooth
Wrinkles and creases make clothing items look cheap. Although naturally crinkled or pleated textured fabrics have wrinkles, they don’t look messy. You should iron the clothing products before the shoot to make them look professional. You can also use a hand steamer to smooth out the creases.
There are some delicate fabrics that get wrinkles easily even after ironing them. You can hang them on hangers to prevent wrinkling and keep them looking good right before the shoot.
Cut Off Loose Threads
Some outfits may have loose threads hanging on the neckline or other parts of the garment. If these threads are visible in the photos, they can make the attire look unprofessional and poorly finished. You should carefully cut those threads with scissors. Make sure you don’t accidentally cut the fabric. Also, sometimes cutting off the loose threads can tear the stitching. In such cases, you would need a sewing kit to stitch it back together.
Get Rid of Lint
Lint is a common issue for photoshoot setups that have pet or clothing items containing fur. These fibers become more visible in dark-colored clothes, velvet-textured fabrics and other materials that lint can get attached to easily. You should always have a lint roller to remove the lint with a quick swipe before and in between the shoot when necessary.
Clean Stains
Customers may question the quality of the product and the brand itself after seeing photographs of stains on clothing. Holding the items with dirty hands or spilling coffee on clothes while sipping can cause unpleasant stains. You can use a stain remover pen or wet wipes to clean off the stains.
However, you would need to scrub out the stain with detergent to remove tough stains. Besides, wiping away stains before the shoot will save your time and effort in editing.
2. Experiment with Shooting Style
Photography style plays an important role in attracting customers. Different styles can help you set different moods and send messages that influence the purchasing decisions of the customers. The following are the most popular clothing photography techniques you can try for your upcoming photoshoot.
Flat lay
Flatlay photography is a cost-effective solution for those who have a low budget for the shoot. You can use this photography technique to promote your clothing on social media, as it is trending recently. It is also suitable to use on eCommerce platforms.
You need a flat surface like a tabletop or floor, which will be the background of the photos. You can take the shots handheld. However, it is recommended to use a tripod for perfect angle and clarity. Capturing flatlays is quite simple. All you need is to place the garments on the flat surface and set the camera at 90 degrees parallel to the flat surface.
To make these top-down shots interesting, you can arrange the outfits in geometrical shapes such as lines, triangles or squares using different props. Complementary items like shoes, bags, sunglasses, etc. work best as props. Make sure the accessories you use enhance the visual aesthetics of the images. You can use matching as well as contrasting colors as your theme to create eye-catching compositions.
Model
Model photography is the best way to showcase apparel, no doubt. But this is the most expensive photography style too. Clothes on models provide clear details of the look, size and fit on the body. Customers can set realistic expectations as they can visualize the clothes on them by seeing the images. Also, it is a great way to create an emotional connection and make customers purchase the clothes.
Lifestyle clothing photography using models is another way of making the garments relatable to the customers. You can share styling ideas by showing how the outfits can be paired with various accessories or worn in different settings. You can hire professional models if your budget is high. To promote diversity and body positivity, you can use models with different body shapes to make your dresses inclusive of every body type.
Hanging
Hanging photography is quite popular on Instagram and Pinterest. You can try this technique to present your clothes casually, especially short dresses and t-shirts. Customers can see the natural flow and drape of the fabric when it is hung on a hanger. This mannequin alternative style is also an affordable option, as you don’t have to hire models or need studio setup.
You can do this style of photography against a plain wall. This style is also ideal for showcasing a wide range of offerings. You can hang one design with its color variations on a rack. Highlight just one piece to show the design while the others will provide a color reference.
Mannequin
Don’t have a budget for hiring models but want to show the fit of the dress? Try out mannequin clothing photography. Although mannequins can’t create emotional connections like models, customers can still visualize how the pieces might look on their body. When clothes are put on the mannequin’s human-like body, customers can see how the fabric drapes and falls. Also, they can see the fit and overall appearance of the outfit.
However, the expressionless face or headless mannequin can make the images look unattractive. You can enhance the visual appeal of this 3D photography style through the ghost mannequin effect. This technique is a result of photo editing. You need to take the shots on a mannequin. Later, a professional photo editor removes the mannequin from the photo. The final output looks like a ghost wearing the dress. That’s why it’s called ghost mannequin photography.
3. Pick the Right Camera
Your selection of camera makes a big difference in the quality of your photos. Sharp features such as textures of the fabric, embroidery, stitching and other fine details make clothing items attractive to the customers. You need to select a high-resolution camera to ensure all these details get clearly visible in the photographs.
The best camera you can pick for clothing photography is a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The high-resolution sensors of these professional cameras are capable of capturing the fine details and vibrant colors of the garments. These cameras are designed with other modern features, such as autofocus systems, customizable settings, interchangeable lenses and many more. All these features together create amazing, high-quality photographs.
Although the price range for mirrorless and DSLR cameras can be high, there are several budget-friendly models that can offer excellent performance for your clothing photography. You can also use smartphones in case you are on a tight budget. Make sure the camera of your smartphone is high-resolution. Generally, premium smartphones like the iPhone Pro or Samsung S series have better-quality cameras that can produce images similar to professional cameras.
4. Choose the Background Carefully
The background you choose for photography can make or break the overall visual appeal of your shots. For this reason, you must carefully choose a background that will enhance the mood and theme of your photography. Choosing the right setting for your images can be challenging. You need to consider several factors, such as the photography technique, color, theme, and how well the background complements the clothing items.
When choosing the background, you should also consider the platforms on which you plan to use the images. Ecommerce platforms like Amazon, eBay or Alibaba prefer product images on a clean white background. This is because products remain the only focus on this type of background. On the other hand, users of social media platforms like Instagram or Pinterest like to see creative product photographs.
The following are a few product photography tips for selecting your setting and backdrop.
- Since Amazon has a strict policy against using any other background color for their main image, you must use a white background. But for other eCommerce sites such as Etsy, eBay or your own online store, you have more flexibility when choosing the background colors. You can use muted colors like beige, off white, gray, and other neutral tones that will complement the outfits without creating distraction.
- Use natural elements such as wooden or marble tabletop in case you want to use a textured backdrop. A wooden backdrop would look best in vintage-themed photos. You can use these photos on social media sites.
- For indoor shoots, you can use solid-color seamless paper or fabric for flat lay shots as well as model photography.
- Consider your theme for choosing an outdoor location. Summer outfits look good against the beach, open field and garden. The natural light and wind properly highlight the color and flow of the outfit in these places. On the other hand, fall collection can be enhanced in urban landscapes, forests or rustic settings. You can use these images for social media marketing as well as additional images on Amazon.
5. Decide on Your Lighting
Lighting is the game changer in product photography. A proper lighting setup is necessary to highlight the colors, textures and details of the clothes. You can use either natural lighting or artificial lighting for the shoot.
Natural lighting is great to make the clothing items natural and authentic. The best thing about natural lighting is that it’s free and provides a flattering effect on the clothes. Early mornings and late afternoons are considered the ideal time for the photoshoot. The soft light during these golden hours works amazing at enhancing the beauty of clothes better than other times of the day.
However, natural lighting may make you face several challenges. The notable complications are changing the intensity throughout the day, sudden changes in weather, clouds affecting light and many more. Hence, artificial lighting can be your better option for a long time shoot. You can use continuous light sources such as LEDs, bulbs, lamps and others. Among flashlights, a strobe is the first choice for professional photographers.
There are many positive aspects of using artificial lighting, including full control over brightness, color temperature and direction. Make sure to set your lighting sources at a 45-degree angle. You will get the best results if you use three sources, i.e, primary and fill light on the right and left sides of the items and a backlight for even lighting.
It’s worth mentioning that artificial lighting is ideal for indoor shoots. However, you can use it to enhance natural lighting too, particularly in places where natural light may be limited or inconsistent.
6. Take Multiple Shots from Different Angles
Customers prefer to see a comprehensive view of the clothing items when purchasing apparel online. Multiple perspectives, such as the front, back and side views give them the feel of checking out the clothes just like they do in a physical store. Moreover, closeups of details like the neckline, stitching, hemline and fabric texture provide visual proof of the quality and craftsmanship.
Shots from different angles and perspectives also help customers develop realistic expectations. They make the order consciously after knowing the fit, design and overall look of the outfit. This confidence in the clothing items is one of the reasons brands receive fewer returns.
You can take shots from the following angles when selling online.
- Take full-length shots to show how the outfit looks from top to bottom.
- Show the back view to show the design or neckline.
- Use macro shots to showcase the texture of the fabric.
- Close views of the unique features like pockets, slits, buttons, zippers provide detailed visual information about the outfit.
- Include tags of the brand, size and material to assure the authenticity of the item.
7. Take Shots of Labels
One thing that is usually overlooked is labels on the clothing products. Photographs of labels and tags on the garments add value to your listing and marketing effort. These labels contain important information such as brand name, material, care instructions, size, price and many other necessary details.
You should capture these labels to maintain the transparency of your brand. For example, a customer prefers only cotton fabric. If you show the tag that clearly states the garment is 100% cotton, then it will help customers to make a confident purchasing decision. Moreover, these tags prove the reliability of the product. You will get other advantages from these labels, such as writing product descriptions, catagorizing products in your store or searching for any details related to the product.
Edit Your Clothes Pictures (for Clarity and Consistency)
Editing is a must to enhance the clarity and quality of your photographs. Usually, you may need the following editing techniques to make your apparel look flawless and visually attractive.
Adjust the Lighting and Color
Improper lighting can make the color of the clothes dull or too bright. You need to adjust the brightness and contrast of the image to fix the exposure issues. But only correcting lighting will not solve the color issue. You need to adjust saturation and color balance settings as well.
Remove Imperfections
Imperfections such as wrinkles, creases, spots, lints or shadows can decrease the visual appeal of the outfit. Despite being careful, your clothing images can have these issues. But, no worries. You can remove them with the healing tool in Photoshop.
Replace Background
Sometimes you may need to display the clothing items on different backgrounds for marketing purposes. But shooting one item on multiple backgrounds can be quite expensive. Adobe Photoshop has a solution to this problem too. You can use the clipping path technique to separate the outfit from the background. Later, you can use the cutouts on any background as per your needs.
Add Text and Logo
The logo of your brand is the unique identity of your business. You can include the logo, taglines and other information in the images to make the customers recognize your brand through the clothing items.
Resize Images
The image size requirement in Amazon is not the same with the other eCommerce platforms. But does that mean you will crop the images to make them fit the sites? This is a bad idea, as it may affect your image quality. Photo editors can resize images, maintaining the quality and resolution.
There are several free tools and apps available that can make the above mentioned edits. However, the editing effort of AI cannot match the expertise and precision of human editors. You should collaborate with professional photo editing service providers to get professional-quality images. You can use these photographs for commercial purposes and increase your sales.
Frequently Asked Questions about How To Take Pictures Of Clothes To Sell
How to take a photo to sell clothes?
Best looking outfits, high resolution camera and proper lighting are essential for capturing photos that will sell your clothes. Clean and iron the items properly to remove any stains and wrinkles. Also, use distraction-free backdrops to make the images eye-soothing.
It’s best if you can use model photography, as customers will get a better idea about the fit of the clothes and become interested in the item more easily. Most importantly, no matter what style of images you use, the details of the garments, such as the buttons, stitches, embroidery and embellishments should be visible in the photos.
How do you best display clothes for sale?
The best way to display clothes to sell is lifestyle photography. Customers prefer to see the fit, drape and flow of the dress on models. This helps them to know whether the item will look on them or not. Another popular photography technique is flat-lay shots. Although this is a simple presentation of the clothes, it has a special aesthetic that attracts customers easily.
Is ironing clothes before the photoshoot a good idea?
Ironing clothes before the shoot is not just a good but best idea. In fact, you must do it to create a positive impression of your clothing products. Wrinkles make the items look low quality and unprofessional. As a result, your potential customers may become discouraged from checking out your offerings.
Conclusion
The success of selling clothing online greatly depends on the quality of product photos you use for promotion and display. In this blog, we’ve discussed multiple photography techniques and things you should follow to make your clothing products look their best. Keep on practicing maintaining our guidelines and see how your sales report shows positive changes after your next clothing photoshoot.
