Clothing photography - how to take pictures of clothing

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Clothing folded, flat, on a mannequin or model? Lighting & Set-up for apparel photography Styling the clothing in preparation for the shoot Using a horizontal tripod & wide angle lens	Using a good steamer to eliminate wrinkles Using a tethered set-up between camera & computer Using a life size mannequin Clothing Photography tools
Taking good quality pictures of clothing can be tricky. The battle to eliminate or control harsh shadows can seem endless, and soft, even lighting can be a real problem. However, there are some simple techniques which even amateur photographers can use to obtain excellent results with minimal effort. The following examples show a "laying the clothing flat" basic setup as well as a more elaborate mannequin set-up that should allow photographers at all levels to achieve results they can be proud of. The easiest technique to learn and have success with, is shooting clothing flat. Some great examples of flat or folded clothing photography can be seen online at GAP kids and L.L.Bean web stores. This is the first technique we will focus on in this tutorial. Keep in mind that these companies hire experienced photo clothing stylists to spend countless hours fussing over the tiniest layout details. A great deal can be learned from studying their final layout selections. The second technique covers use of a life size mannequin. To provide soft, even lighting we used TableTop Studio's Kuhl Lite120 lights with the front diffusion panels in place. The Kuhl Lites use four daylight color compact fluorescent bulbs each. They are a pleasure to work with, as they do not produce the intense heat of the more commonly used tungsten or halogen bulbs but do provide true daylight color so little or no color correction is needed. The first technique has some basic limitations worth considering. We are shooting from "above", so we have limits as to how high we can raise our camera safely, using a horizontal tripod. If the clothing is large, the edges may inadvertently get cropped from the cameras view if the camera is too low. For a dress you may need to raise the camera to a height of 6' to 8'; although by 6' you may find you need a small step ladder to see through the viewfinder. Large chains ie. L.L.Bean have tall, sturdy scissor lifts, with large format cameras mounted on them specifically made for this purpose. These allow the camera to be raised to almost any height. Now lets look at some specific situations.tabletopstudio4187

Steam or iron the clothing article to remove all wrinkles and creases ...

If you have never used a steamer before, then be sure to view the videos of using a steamer on the Jiffy Steamer web site. They show how to run the steamer along the front and inside of each piece removing wrinkles along the way. I have burned plenty of clothing in the past, by holding a hot iron on one spot for too long. So for me, working with a small steamer was a real treat. Also, there you can't add new creases by mistake, as commonly occurs when ironing.

Let's begin with a packaged, folded product since this is how many of you will begin. After removing the shirt from the package we used a good quality hand-held travel size steamer to remove the wrinkles.

Once the shirt is removed from the package it's covered in wrinkles. The wrinkles, if left un addressed, will really detract from the final image. Taking a few extra minutes in the beginning to get the clothing ready for shooting, will really payoff in the end. Don't skimp on ironing or steaming.

The best thing to do is to iron or steam the wrinkles out. We used a highly rated hand held travel steamer. This little travel size Jiffy Esteam worked like a champ, and the wrinkles were gone in a flash.

Use large size soft boxes for diffused, even lighting & softer shadows...

You may have noticed if you are shooting without a diffuser, that your shadows are too strong, and may be overwhelming your product. Professional photographers use soft diffused lighting to get the best results. The new Tabletop Studio Kuhl Lites are unique in design, they hold four 30W bulbs each and include a removable diffusion panel. The choice of using 1-4 bulbs provides a huge amount of flexibility for lighting.

Flat art photography inherently poses certain lighting challenges. The lights used need to provide smooth, even lighting over a very large, broad, flat surface.

To achieve balanced, even lighting we will use two large 20" soft boxes {Kuhl Lite120's}. The set shown here included optional diffusion panels that can be attached to the front to soften the light.

Since our items are flat, it's fine to position two equal light sources on opposite sides of the clothing. Normally this flattens an image. But our items are truly flat; like a poster, so flat lighting is fine.The large size of the soft boxes complements the large size of the clothing to provide very smooth, even coverage.

Choose to use a short focal length lens to maximize the area of view...

You may not be shooting the Grand Canyon, but you'll still want a wide angle lens for photographing clothing. I used a 28-100mm lens for most of these examples, but a nice 18-55mm would work great too. Be aware that as you go down closer to 18mm your clothing images may show some signs of warping. Just pay attention to the images as you go, to be sure your not using too wide an angle for the item. Let the results be your guide if your lens is adjustable.

Use a camera that has a short focal length {wide angle} lens. This will allow you to see a larger area of your subject; the entire piece of clothing.

A wide angle lens views a larger "wider" area vs. a zoom or macro lens that narrows the view to a smaller section of space.

In this case, the wide angle lens fits the entire pair of jeans into view. We used a 18-55mm lens for this photo, and it worked well.

Your camera should be positioned directly above the clothing. If the tripod is raised up high, use a small step ladder to safely look through your cameras viewfinder.

Use a tethered camera to computer set-up for a faster workflow...

It is convenient to use a tethered setup between camera and computer to control the camera. Many cameras include this software for free. In this case you can instantly view the image on the computer screen, allowing for faster feedback. This is a time saver in most cases. The only real financial investment needed is the cable long cable that runs from the computer to the camera. Most recent camera models include the software for free.

A tethered setup allows you to operate the camera directly from your computer or laptop system without leaving your seat.

Well that may be a slight exaggeration, but it does save you time by providing a much larger view of your photo immediately.

The software allows you to adjust your camera settings such as exposure, depth of field, and file format etc. right from your laptop desktop.

Although we have not yet discussed shooting using mannequin, If you place your mouse over the left image you can see this dress on a mannequin we will discuss using later on this page. Getting a good photo using a mannequin is much easier than learning to shoot a live model.

Attractive styling of clothing articles takes practice & patience...

Surf the web a little doing some research on styling you like for items similar to yours. Patagonia & the Gap spend a fortune on clothing stylists, so why not look at their item layouts if they are similar to yours. Knowing what you would like your piece to look like in the final image is a good idea before you begin. If you don't have an idea in mind you could spend hours fussing over the stuffing etc. without getting a good shot. Save yourself some time and frustration by doing your homework first. What do other sellers do with similar products that work?

I cannot stress styling enough. Study your favorite clothing web site photos for tips on how to arrange your clothing on the boards.

Tissue paper and cotton batting make nice fillers for clothing to help give the articles a little life and add dimension.If your item has tags be sure your tags are facing front so they can be read.

In some cases it may be helpful to pin the article to the board to hold it's position. This is only necessary if you are struggling with getting it to keep from changing position. The final skirt layout is cute and perky.

Place your mouse over the left photo to see where we placed some stuffing. The placement we chose created shadows in that area which gives the image a more life like appearance.

Wrinkle free garments make for more professional final images...

Photoshop tricks can do many wonderful things for tweaking a final image but I have yet to see it remove wrinkles from a shirt! If you plan to shoot lots of clothing then you'll be thrilled with the little Jiffy esteam hand held travel steamer that I used. The travel size is about the size of a coffee thermos and can steam 5 to 10 articles of clothing in between refills, depending on their size. It is not industrial size, but I found it was not as messy to use as the larger commercial size. The commercial size is the size of a vacuum cleaner.

Place your mouse over the image on the left to see what it looked like before it was steamed and "stuffed" with cotton batting. Examine the image carefully to see how our cotton batting that was stuffed beneath the neckline edge.

I used cotton ball size batting to raise the neckline front edge just enough to create the shadows seen in the photo on the left. This stuffing produced a very nice separation of the neckline front from the neckline back. The little soft shadow created by simply raising the front neckline edge slightly, helps the shirt pop more.

A mannequin can be used for a more elaborate & striking setup...

Photographing a mannequin is far easier than shooting a live, moving model. The lighting requirements are not as elaborate {you do not need strobes}, the mannequin holds absolutely still, and is always available. On the down side a mannequin cannot dress itself.

There are so many styles of mannequins to choose from, the choices can be overwhelming. The mannequin that I selected to purchase was a life size 5'9" female that can accommodate a wig. As we proceed you will how a wig is key to creating a more lifelike illusion. I chose, and recommend you do too, a style that has no neck seam. The arms, hands and legs on mine do have seams where they attach to the body. A full size mannequin is a substantial investment, but does save time with styling, and for certain pieces gives a clearer view for customers. The one shown here needed assembly; the main torso, arms,hands, legs and stand needed to be joined together.

For lighting the mannequin we used soft boxes similar to the ones used for "flat or folded" clothing, however we increased the size to our largest 20" x 30" Kuhl Lite 120R soft boxes. They hold the same four bulbs, but the larger size and shape fits with the mannequin better. If you were shooting a live, moving model you would use more expensive strobes. But our mannequin is stone still and will not move during a long shutter speed, producing motion blur.

In this photo I show the lights I used to take the examples photos that follow. Two primary light sources for the clothing; and then in addition to these I used one or two lights to light the white wall behind the mannequin so I could more easily strip out the background.

The back lights are not shown in this photo, and do not effect the the mannequin's lighting. If you use background lights be sure to place them so the light is directed only onto the background; this will blow the background out to close to pure white.

Be sure that all of your lights match in color or you will not be happy with the results. NEVER mix different light source bulb colors. I used all 5000K daylight balanced bulbs.If you wanted to change the background color you could place a colored gel clipped the the soft box front panel.

If you decide to use a mannequin select an attractive style that fit's the clothing you plan to photograph.

The face of a mannequin always looks a bit fake. Just crop images below the chin for close-ups, so the face is not part of the image. The head and face look fine in small thumbnail size images.

* Tip - A quality wig can make it look more like you hired a model.

Dressing the mannequin is tricky, the arms & legs need to be removed and reattached as you struggle to get the clothing on and off for each shot.

Don't try this for the first time in a hurry, or you'll be extremely frustrated.

* Tip - Change the wig for a new look!

Position the soft boxes on both sides of the mannequin ...

For my example images, I placed one of the side lights forward and one a bit back to create almost even lighting, but still give the shape dimension. If your lights a directly opposite of each other they will create flat lighting, that makes the mannequin look flat. A third soft box was used to light the background. This helps to separate the figure from the background, and will make stripping the background out fast and easy if you choose. The images below did not have the, white wall, backgrounds stripped out. Nordstrom's website does not strip out the background for the women's sweater section. Go ahead and look at the site for ideas on what you like for background ideas ...

Avoid flat lighting by moving one light forward and one light back. The slightly staggered lights will create dimension and add drama.

The left image shows one side is a little brighter than the other. Don't be afraid to move your lights; good light positioning is critical to good results.

I like the look of pulling some of the hair locks forward, so they drape down in front for the picture. If your clothing article has detail you would like to show in that spot, just move the hair.

Often times it is most effective to show more than a single view of an item. Don't move your lights, just turn the mannequin.

Use small thumbnails and the mannequin looks like a live model.

Stripping out the background ...

If you decide you want a completely stripped out, page white, background, it is easy. Photoshop elements, the scaled down less expensive version of Photoshop, will do the trick. Select the background using the selection tool set to 25-30. Inverse the selection to highlight the mannequin. Create a new layer of just her. Then fill the layer below with white. Michaelstars website uses this trick for the entire site. It's up to you!

Adobe Photoshop Elements uses the same simple process to remove backgrounds as Photoshop. Don't be afraid to try this yourself if you have not yet done so.

There are countless online video tutorials available now to hold your hand through the steps of removing a photo background.

If you light the background, and use white, it will be very easy to select the background for removal. There is no right or wrong way to portray clothing. Just choose the style you prefer. You'll see different choices for backgrounds at nordstrom, GAP, Michael Stars, Patagonia etc. Look at these online stores to decide what's right for your store.

Clothing Photography Tools...

Clothing photography has many different subgroups that make it difficult to put together the perfect clothing photography kit for all situations. Many sellers specialize in just a a section of the clothing market such as woman's clothing, children's or men's. The equipment recommendations change slightly with the different categories. The setup below works great for laying the clothing flat. If you decide to use a mannequin I would recommend our largest size 20"x30" Kuhl Lite soft boxes. They use the same four 30W bulbs as our Kuhl Lite 120's, but the larger size soft box dimension will provide a larger area of soft lighting. Also when using mannequin, a third light is ideal, for lighting the background behind the mannequin.