This article will discuss clothing photography ideas and how to photograph clothes for an online store. So, you sell clothes through an online store, or you are going to sell clothes for an online store; you already have clothes for an online store, and they are making an online clothing store for you, but now you need clothes photos. What to do?
Take photos of clothes yourself or order a photoshoot?
However, not the most straightforward question, so I probably won’t give an unambiguous answer, be prepared for additional costs, the first photoshoot (the equipment is quite expensive), but maybe it will pay off quickly.
So, if you decide to find a photographer, then it’s time to start looking; in large cities, most likely, the choice will be more prosperous, you need the photographer to have experience in studio shooting, the necessary equipment (studio light, light modifiers, background, background holders), if photographing clothes on your territory, in general, the photographer should be ready for this photographing, is it possible to take off clothes without studio light? It is possible in general, but there should be enough light, and even a white background will still be grayish, which can be corrected when processing photos. I still prefer to use studio lighting.
If you still decide to photograph clothes yourself, then to get ready, you need to solve a lot of questions:
What kind of camera do you need to shoot clothes?
I would recommend using a reflex camera; I will write that any, although of course, the better and more expensive the camera is, the easier it will be for you to take a high-quality photograph of the product. It will be better if it is a device with a full-frame matrix, but any other is possible.
You may need a reliable tripod; it is more convenient to photograph in the studio with a tripod, the tripod must be reliable.
You will need a quality lens – as a general rule of thumb when choosing a lens, it should not distort objects, so wide-angle lenses most likely will not work, pay attention to lenses with a focal length of 50mm or more.
Background for photographing clothes – you will need a background for photographing clothes; the background must be of sufficient width and length to fill the entire frame. It is better to take the background white; in addition, according to trade rules, the goods should be presented precisely on a white background.
Some stores have rather strict requirements for the whiteness of the background; that is, the background should be perfectly white in RGB R-255 G-255 B-255 when all 3 RGB values are equal to 2556, it means this is the perfect white color.
How will this be achieved?
It can be done in post-processing of the photo, that is, manually whiten the background. If you want to reduce post-processing photo goods to a minimum, highlight the white background with flashes. You can, of course, clip the photo and replace the background, but as a rule, it takes a lot of time, and therefore, with a large number of goods, it is easier to highlight the background, although some photographers often use a green chroma key to click a photo quickly.
You will need fixed and pulsed studio lighting and studio light can be pulsed and constant. Both have their advantages and disadvantages; within the framework of this article, this is too broad a topic. Beginners should pay attention to ready-made light sets; in addition, such groups can be cheaper than buying separately. Also, permanent light is easier to set up than pulsed light. The number of sources in the light, not less than three light modifiers, is required; otherwise, the light will be too hard.
Adjusting the white balance is an essential parameter when shooting clothes not to distort the colors; the more accurately you make this adjustment, the better; use a gray card and manual white balance.
What Format to Shoot?
Shoot in RAW format will be easier to correct mistakes, so if you are shooting for the first time, they will most likely be there.
Shoot Clothes in the Studio or Outdoors?
Perhaps the easiest way is to photograph clothes on the street; while no complicated studio equipment is required, you can do it with a minimum of photo equipment.
Models will be required; you will need to find them, either for money or try to find non-professional models. Makeup and preparation are necessary; it is better to choose good weather without direct sunlight for photographing.
Think over the background behind the models; it is better if it is authentic. There is a suitable one, probably you should not photograph ski suits in the summer, or swimwear in the fall (by the way, sometimes this contrast can be an additional feature of photographing clothes.
What to Photograph Clothes On?
On what to photograph clothes, an important question, on living people? Spread out on a table or mannequins? What to choose? You can take pictures of clothes laid out on the table because we also see clothes in an offline store, mostly not on a mannequin or in public.
Still, the truth is, in a simple store, you can always try on these clothes, try asking yourself how you look best. For example, it seems that sometimes the clothes on the mannequin or the model are somewhat misleading about the goods. But of course, clothes look better in public, especially if the models are beautiful.
You may also like to read: Fashion Photography: Discover the Secrets to Success in Fashion Photography
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