Clothing product photography ideas usually come on the fly, when a photographer is in the creative heat of a photo session.
The understanding of how to lay an object for a shoot, what background, props, and lighting to use for this product comes when you have read the client’s requirements, but especially when you see and feel the garment itself.
A T-shirt with a rebellious inscription may need a bit of a rebellious casual layout.
A cashmere sweater in tea rose hue may call for a sky-blue background and asymmetrical flat lay so that you can see how perfect and cozy it is.
Cute and bright floral print socks for kids may prompt to be positioned in a flower shape for a shot.
There are numerous ways of making apparel product photography. Some of them are more popular than others.
We shot hundreds of brands, making numerous shots and we have a few of our favorites. See if clothing some of the below suggestions could make your product shine brighter from the digital display.
9 Photography ideas for Ecommerce [from classy to crazy]
- Perfect
When talking about flat lay clothing photography ideas, this is a popular somewhat overused concept.
You need to layout your piece on the white or black surface symmetrically and take a picture from above.
A classical white shirt from premium cotton with silver cufflinks will look rather congruous, when ironed out to perfection and positioned on the table in full millimeter-precise symmetry.
This concept may be deprived of character a bit, but it does the job: tells a customer about the shape, cut, fabric, detailing, and color of the piece.
Such images are mostly used for marketplaces, where creative shots are used less often, not to overcrowd the visually busy space. Moreover, every Ecommerce platform of this kind, like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, will have its technical requirements, that you have to comply with to rank high among other merchants.
- Imperfect
Do you remember a rebellious T-shirt example a few paragraphs above? This is a perfect model for an imperfect shot.
So are all the jeans brands and casual wear. Kids stuff? You bet.
Imperfection can be achieved by tucking in one of the sides of apparel for asymmetry or to create some natural creasing. It provides a feel of the context, a user can better picture such an item thrown on the sofa in their apartment after a fun day out.
- In action
Socks on a model can be shot in action as if tiptoeing somewhere.
Even though your photo edits any traces of the model in this case, such a picture comes across as more relatable right away to a potential customer.
A bonus of such a shot: you can see what part of the fun inscription on this pair of socks is visible when in use. Another idea for an apparel photo in action?
Imagine a light chiffon dress laid out somewhat dynamically ¾ facing the camera and a pair of male jeans and sweater laid out as if holding the dress by the waist. We’d say it’s romantic. And such that spurs impulse buying too.
- Laid out at an angle
Front-on shots are omnipresent and slightly overused, as it’s a marketplace standard. Feel like throwing a bit of dynamics into your clothing image?
Lay it out at an angle. Such positioning is best for sports and casual wear, that call for a bit of action.
- In a 3D-like space
This is another method that also makes your product look more real-life-like, like those in action and items placed at an angle. It is achieved by placing apparel on hangers at a slight angle to the camera and then editing the hangers out in post-production.
As this idea literally makes a garment fly in space, it's amazing for shooting all the NASA-like products, as if the piece is levitating.
If you shoot kids tops in this manner, it also suggests to parents the active lifestyle of their child when wearing this piece. Which, in the era of gadgets and non-stop screen time, can also prompt a purchase more readily.
- Use a group shot to showcase the spirit of a series
Every garment has a mood and renders a specific message. I am chillaxed. I am stylish. I am classy. I am a social ninja. I like the attention. You get it.
Casual wear more often than not has this ingredient of a rebel spirit, a devil-cares-not attitude.
To showcase this character, you might want to throw a few items in one shot, layered casually on top of each other.
7. Minimalist
Not only is it the standard way to make a picture for marketplaces, but it’s also a way to underline the perfection of the classic garments. The perfect seams on a jacket, the impeccable cut of the pencil dress, the 100% silk of the scarf all call for a close shot with nothing in it.
The minimalist effect can be achieved by positioning an object right at the center, allowing lots of space around it, using no props and white background.
8. Heroshots with props
This is an all-time favorite for category images, that also gather many clicks on social media raising your brand's engagement.
Using colored backgrounds and relevant props is a great way to render a certain mood or set a scene.
Courtesy of our client – Knickerbocker NYC
Books, flowers, dried branches, strings of pearls, cigar boxes, a hand-carved wooden walking cane, a fedora hat all dictate a certain mood in a shot when positioned alongside a piece of clothing.
9. On a rack
This is also a great idea for a category or social media shot. If you think of doing a hero shot for a collection, this may be a good choice.
Hang your clothing on a rope or a rack – so that users can appreciate the texture, color pallets, and feel of the collection.
Courtesy of our client – Knickerbocker NYC
If you use a thick marine-type rope, a jeans collection will look great, If you line up all pieces orderly on a steel rack, silk blouses will look amazing.
Afterword
With hundreds of ideas for apparel product photography already materialized by a talented fleet of world-class photographers, there's always space for creativity.
Experiment with lighting, background, positioning, props to come up with unparalleled captivating results time after time again.
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