Last Updated on March 3, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed
There are a lot of mistakes that companies, both big and small, make when shooting photos for their clothing line. But, as an avid fan of fashion, it’s not just the quality of the image you can be judged on! Instead, your mistakes could potentially hurt your business and your overall bottom line. So if you want to avoid any potential pitfalls, here are seven mistakes to avoid next time you start shooting those amazing new outfits and custom products.
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Winging It
Even if you’re pressed for time, you can still get professional-looking photos that aren’t blurry or grainy. The key is to do your research, invest in the right equipment, and set yourself up for success.
New fashion brands and clothing designers need to show themselves off in the best possible way. And the best way to show that is through your media: photography and video. But often, when someone is shooting photos for the first time, mistakes are made because they lack the knowledge and skills. The clothes might be of the best quality, but if the photography stinks, then they fail to convince anyone why their clothes are worth the price.
Using quality photography essentials such as a DSLR camera, tripod, and a ring light will ensure that your photos will be sharp and clean, giving your images a professional look. It also demonstrates to your potential customers that you’re a business that cares about the quality of its products.
Not Paying Attention to your Lighting
Terrible lighting makes for terrible-looking photos. For the best result, try shooting in natural sources of light. Natural light during the day or evening sun is best because it allows you to create shadows and highlights on different parts of an item, giving dimensionality to flat pieces of fabric. Try shooting near a window or outside in the shade.
However, many of us may not have much control over our surroundings or outdoor conditions, in which case LED panels are okay to use. However, using indoor lighting takes skill and knowledge, so if you’re uncomfortable with this, you should consider hiring a professional studio photography service such as Clothing and Product Photography Studio. Professional photographers are more than just photographers. They are knowledgeable in lighting, proper setup, editing, and creating all the elements that make up for a successful photo shoot. Plus, it’s one less thing to worry about.
Using the Same Camera Angle
Different angles give a viewer a holistic overview of an item. Multiple angles can better provide what it would feel like to wear a particular piece of clothing. Using the same angle is a sure way to tell everyone your brand is boring.
Some common amateur mistakes are often not changing the lens and taking too many photos without any thought for composition or lighting. These mistakes can lead to blurry images, poor contrast ratios, and low-quality images in general.
To create quality photographs with multiple perspectives, try these tips.
- Use at least three different camera angles
- Take at least five photos per angle
- Change your lens often, and be sure to clean them regularly
If your angle positions are planned and executed properly, your photography can tell a story that expresses your brand’s style.
Not Having any Branding
Whether it’s a logo or accessory, make sure that something in the photography reminds people about your company. Think of all the major brands out there, such as Nike, Luis Vuitton, Lululemon. They all have a way of identifying their brand through visuals. Your photography is the perfect opportunity to promote the different features of your products. For example, if you sell sporty apparel, you can highlight the features that make your clothing ideal for a particular activity like yoga.
Your photography is part of your overall brand assembly line. In other words, your images, website, and social media channels should all stay consistent in their messaging and appearance.
Bad Color Schemes
In general, the rule of thumb in clothing photography is to choose colors that contrast nicely with each other, but of course, sometimes rules are meant to be broken, especially if you’re trying to achieve a certain mood or tone in your photo series. Nevertheless, whether you’re breaking the rules or not, it’s vital to have a basic understanding of how colors work together.
There are free online tools available that can help, or if you’re fortunate enough to know someone familiar with color theory, such as designers, you can always ask a pro. Regardless, apply the right color scheme that compliments your items and is consistent with your branding, which brings us to the next point.
The Wrong Background
Attractive clothes deserve exciting backdrops. You can experiment so long as you’re applying the color principles mentioned above. Ideally, you want your background to reflect the occasion for your clothes.
For example, is this something to be worn on a night out or a hike? At a job interview or to a music festival? This isn’t to say that you need to travel out of your way to find the right backdrop or situation that matches your outfit. It simply needs to reflect the occasion. For example, swimwear is meant to be worn in warm and sunny weather. Therefore, a dark and gloomy background is a “no, no.” But if you’re selling a coat, then a tropical backdrop is not ideal. These are just common sense ideas, but you get the point about the importance of applying consistency in backdrops as they relate to colors and overall brand consistency.
Not Editing your Photos
Even the best photographers with the best equipment cannot guarantee that their photos will not need additional touch-ups and editing. Many amateurs make the mistake of just going with their raw images without doing any post-production work. However, just as errors can be made during shooting, mistakes can easily be made during editing. Photos can sometimes be a little off with color tones and lighting, but during the editing phase is the time to make these corrections. It’s a delicate balancing act between both phases. Over-editing an image can result in an unnatural and unrealistic production of your clothing items.
Ask for Help
You can avoid these mistakes by doing your research. Remember that many other factors besides the clothes contribute to a successful photoshoot, so be sure you also have everything else in place before taking pictures. If it sounds like too much, you can always ask for help from a professional or simply hire someone.
