How to achieve a photoshoot for your clothing line in four simple steps…So you’ve spent months gathering your clothing line, and now you’re wondering how to turn your vision into something tangible – a professional photo shoot. After all, when your potential customer can’t touch or try the clothing, high-end photographs of your items are crucial to success.
At Blend, we’re here to help!
Nothing drives an impulse buy like a stunning clothing shoot. But it isn’t as simple as packing your product into a case and hitting the studio (even at Blend). Prepare for your clothing line photoshoot with our simple guide, and you’ll have the best shots ready for web launch.
1. Type of Shoot
Begin with some in-house planning. It is vital to decide initially whether the photography will be a product shoot, e-commerce with models, or lifestyle. There are different benefits to each of these, and you may choose to have more than one shot to achieve the best of both worlds. At Blend, we can help you decide what would work best with your design, and how this can be effectively portrayed to your audience. For example; a product shoot on invisible mannequins lets customers visualize the clothing with no bias or distraction – they are primarily presented on a blank canvas. This, in turn, allows for consistency across the clothing line, and therefore, your brand. A lifestyle shoot, however, is fundamental in visually communicating the scenario in which the clothes are designed to be worn. Seeing the clothing line worn by real models, in real locations, allows the customer to envisage himself in that setting. With these images, you are not only selling the garment but the lifestyle that accompanies it. Bearing this in mind, it is crucial to ensure the concept of a lifestyle shoot makes sense, to further involve the individual in the brand you are trying to sell. Opting for an e-commerce shoot can provide a popular middle ground between product and lifestyle. The use of models allows you to demonstrate how the clothing can be styled and brings character to the garment – while a clean background act to accentuate this.
2. Concepts
Creating a mood-board is a really effective way to map out the direction you want your shoot to go in. Gather visuals that appeal to you but also take into consideration factors such as your target audience, your main competitors, and the garments themselves. Apps such as Pinterest make compiling images really easy, and offer lots of content to take inspiration from. Other platforms such as Instagram, competitor’s content, or even our own portfolio can be used to draw references. These initial ideas can then be developed with a photographer from Blend, to transform them into your own unique vision. While collating a mood board, try to look out for lighting that you like, color schemes, or props that would compliment your clothing line. We can source these for you, or offer external resources to bring this to life. Concepts such as creating animated gifs, or adding graphic backgrounds will make your garments stand out online and highlight your brand in the fashion world. At Blend, we pride ourselves on our flexible approach, so get as creative as you want! And if you want a fresh opinion, the photographers here have worked with a wide variety of clients so they are fully equipped to supply creative directions. Our experience and expertise combined will ensure that the vision and values of your brand are harmonized.
3. Preparation
Once the concept for your shoot is in place, preparation for the day can commence! Product shoots are the most minimal, as our studios come with the equipment required to prepare your clothing line. Steaming your garments and providing styling tools (such as shaping devices and pins) are part of the package, and come as standard for e-commerce shoots in our studio too. When using models, it’s advisable to book a hair and makeup artist – this will improve the overall quality of your images, and reduce any time that may need to be spent in retouching. The MUA will remain on set for the entire duration and will, therefore, be on hand to touch up any makeup that has broken down under the lights, or to fix hair between outfit changes. We also recommend booking a stylist to ensure your clothes are presented perfectly throughout the shoot. They can also source additional garments to pair your clothes with, in order to create outfits if your clothing line is missing components (such as shoes or accessories). Blend has worked with several highly skilled and reliable individuals who can be hired for you, or you can arrange your own MUA or stylist if you wish.
4. On The Day
Now that you’ve done the planning and preparation, don’t rush through your photo shooting. Remember that the customer doesn’t know each product as well as you do. And they might not read your carefully-prepared description when they’re browsing on a smartphone. Make sure you let the photographer know to capture the unique features of the garments such as buttons, lining, or embroidery as these could be key selling points. Detail shots (close-ups of shots of the clothing) can help break up full-length images of your clothing line, and also emphasize the quality of your product. They can also demonstrate the functionality of your clothes, as well as the look. For example, a drop of water on a lapel is an excellent way to show that your jacket is water-resistant. Before starting the shoot, compiling a list of required shots for each item of clothing can be a useful tool to provide structure for the day, and also prevent content from being missed.
We hope we’ve given you some helpful tips for running a photoshoot for your clothing line. If you’re looking for expert and affordable clothing line photography, Blend is available to manage the entire photoshoot. Give us a call or visit our clothing photography page for more information