If you are in the fashion industry or dealing with clothes, apparel, accessories, and other related stuff, then you must be concern about perfecting clothing & apparel photography. After all, the main goal here is to succeed in the business so you must be aware that how the products are presented really matters.
When it comes to clothing & apparel photography, there are certain ways to make every photo more appealing. It is never enough to make the photos attractive using basic background removal or clipping path. If you want professional clothing photo retouching, take note that there are plenty of other photo editing services that will help you achieve great photos.
But before diving into the post-processing needs of the photos, let us take some time to learn more about clothing & apparel photo editing and which common mistakes you should avoid.
1. Unprepared Garment
Clothing can be wrinkled, stained, tore apart, and other kinds of damages while on transport. You have to understand that because you are going to sell them, they must be in their best state when they are photographed. As a general rule of clothing & apparel photography, you must always wash and iron out all clothing samples.
You can always fix minor flaws with Photoshop later on so do not worry about small defects during the shoot. However, you cannot rely on post-processing to fix everything. You must only reserve it for minor retouches, color correction, and final touches to keep the photos as genuine as possible.
Related Post: Removing Creases & Wrinkles from Clothing in Photoshop – Tutorial [VIDEO]
2. Not Having a Mannequin or a Live Model
One of the reasons why some people are not into online shopping for clothes is that they are never sure about how it would look when worn. It is difficult to judge apparel through the computer or mobile screen since you cannot fit it. This is where the importance of a mannequin or a live model enters the scene for clothing & apparel photography. With a model, you can avoid having the clothes laid out flat on a surface. This may produce nice images but the garment’s shape is not highlighted. Having the clothes worn by either a live model or a mannequin will best show how they fit on the body. It is easier to visualize how it would look when worn and gives a realistic idea.
Live models bring the clothes to life but it can also be expensive to hire one for your shoot. A mannequin is the next best thing as it is affordable and will also serve the same purpose well.
Related Post:
8 Easy Steps To Photograph Apparel For Your ECommerce Store With Models
Ghost Mannequin Photography: How to Create a Product/ Clothing 3D Effect
3. Not Enough Light
Bright and natural lighting are the best for apparel. This will eliminate the risk of having underexposed photos. Selling clothes that look good on pictures is crucial since you are also building confidence and trust in your relationship with the customers. The only way to get the right colors is to have ample lighting during the shoot. One can appreciate the colors and details more if they are shown correctly. Aside from having realistic colors, higher quality images are also produced with the best lighting. Either you invest in lighting equipment or use natural light to your advantage is definitely up to you. The most important thing to note here is that you understand its importance and never discount its use in producing professional-quality photos.
4. Not Taking Enough Shots
It is not enough to give the customers one or two photos of each garment. Making them feel like they are actually shopping for clothes will take more than that because customers would like to inspect every part of the clothes as much as possible. Uploading at least three photos would cover the front, back, and side- views of the garment. While this is acceptable, it would help if you would add other angles or, at least, some photos of the details. You may include intricate details like the stitching, logos, print closeup, and even the buttons and zippers.
This will give the customers a better online shopping experience because all possible questions about the product will somehow be answered by the photos. It will make them more satisfied seeing every detail that they want to see. You may also add other info on the photos, like measurements and dimensions, so they can be more informed. Aside from keeping the customers reassured, this will also help minimize returns because every information is laid out and has the photos for better visualization.
5. Using the Wrong Camera Settings
Photoshop is there to help when the photos are messed up. It cannot, however, fix everything most especially when you are using the wrong camera settings during the shoot. DSLR cameras may produce high-quality photos but only if you set it right. Incorrect settings will not only diminish the quality but will also put you at risk of not having enough photos to work with.
First, you need to check on the ISO. It must not be more than 600-640 to avoid having too much “noise” or graining on the photos. With garments, you need to make the photo look clear, sharp, and detailed and higher ISOs will prevent you from doing so. Take note that lower ISOs will make the camera sensitive to movement. Keep the ISO at 100 or 200 to have clearer photos but remember to use a tripod for this setting.
For the Aperture or the “f” value, you have to remember that the larger the f-number, the more that the image will be in focus. So, if a garment is shot at f/22, it will look sharper than when it is shot using f/3.5. generally, you can use f/11 and above so that all aspects of the garments are in full focus.
Next is the White Balance or the color cast on the image. Having orange and red hues makes a photo look warmer while blues and purples makes it cooler. The effect will depend on the light source that is used during the shoot. The common light sources that affect the white balance are tungsten, fluorescent, and flash. Knowing about this is important since it will affect how the colors will turn out after the shot. Photoshop can correct the white balance but it is best if you get the camera settings right for more accurate results.
6. Not Having the Correct Color Space Profile
When selling clothes online, you need to acknowledge that customers will use different devices when viewing photos. The colors of the clothes may look different across different computer screens. This is why setting the correct color space profile is important. With color space, you give the image a specific range of colors that will be registered on a screen. The most common options that you have are RGB, CMYK, and SRGB.
You need to set the correct profile so that the colors will look consistent and stay vibrant even with different screens. SRGB is highly encouraged but it can capture a narrow range of colors. The best way around this is to use the default RGB profile of the camera then convert it into SRGB afterward. This will help if you are planning to edit the photos further in Photoshop.
7. Not Editing Properly
Many clothing retailers discount the importance of post-processing for their product shots. Editing the photos does not only mean removing the backgrounds, eliminating flaws, and making the photos look perfect in general. Proper editing is more than just the aesthetics. You also need to ensure that the resulting photos look consistent and almost identical in style with other photos. To do this, you need to be certain that you are following some kind of a rule in cropping, aligning, and changing the backgrounds. Set a standardized specification before the shoot so you can get the same positions, camera and lighting settings, and even the post-processing instructions.
For the alignment, garments that are of the same size should be centered in a way that the corners, angles, and edges are lined-up similarly with each other. You can create a Photoshop template to ensure a spot-on alignment for every item. As for cropping the photos, identical cropping is essential to make the sizing look consistent and realistic.
Related Post: 10 Product Photography Tips For Effective Ecommerce Photos That Sells
There should only be one background color to use for the products to enhance the professional appeal that you are aiming for. It does not only make the photos look seamless but it can also lessen the post-production time since you are going to use a standard background color and never have to choose one for every photo.
For the colors, never get tempted to use different effects on garment photos. Inaccurate representation of colors is a huge mistake when selling online because you are headed towards customer disappointment. The camera can get the accurate coloring with its white balance settings and you can further correct the colors using Photoshop. Take a few minutes to inspect whether the colors look accurate as compared to the actual product before you upload the photos on the website.
Aside from creating a sense of cohesiveness, it will also make your gallery look organized and more enticing to the customers if all these factors are looked upon during post-processing.
After knowing about the mistakes, here are some tips to make it right:
Location is Essential
Before planning about a concept, make sure that you have a specific location in mind to stage the photoshoot. It is a big misconception that professional photos are only produced from photo studios. If you are tight on a budget, you may look for workspace that has plenty of natural light and has a solid white or light wall for background. Another option is to rent affordable but chic photo studios and event spaces. This will keep the costs to a minimum since you will cut down on the lighting costs. You may also choose to shoot outdoors if you are after a more natural and engaging theme.
Look for Open Shades
One problem when shooting outdoors is that the natural lighting may be too harsh and there is a risk of having sun streaks on the photos. The best and free solution is to look for a shaded area, perhaps in between two tall buildings or any structure, that still provides ample lighting. This technique will give your subject the best lighting without being washed out.
Invest in a Professional Camera
If you are serious about having great photos from a clothing & apparel photography at all times, then it is time to invest on a professional gear for the job at hand. While it is true that some mobile phones now have the capabilities to shoot like a pro, a real professional camera creates a more professional finish. You never have to buy the most expensive camera or equipment. There are budget-friendly entry-level DSLR cameras that already come in kits so you can choose the best but affordable lenses that will suit your needs.
Post Processing
Whether they admit it or not, even professional photographers do not get perfect shots straight out of the camera. Post-processing of photos is essential in making the photos more aesthetically pleasing. Whether they need minor light adjustments or they need plenty of touchups, your photos deserve the best editing process to make them stand out.
If you prefer to work on the clothing & apparel photography on your own but is apprehensive about editing the photos. You can always look for a professional company to take care of it. Apparel photo editing, most especially, is very delicate since it demands precision and expertise by the editor. You cannot take the risk of destroying the photos by having mediocre editing, right? With regards to clothing & apparel photography editing, only the best editors should cut.
