How can I photograph clothing flat for an online store, and what strobe lighting setup should I use?

Asked 2/11/2013

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I need to photograph a large number of clothing items for a new website. I want a clean e-commerce look similar to flat-lay clothing images, but I do not want to use the ghost mannequin effect. I have a studio with two strobes, softboxes/scrims, and light stands, and I’d prefer advice for strobes rather than constant lights.

Should the clothes be photographed laid flat rather than hanging, and how can I give them some shape and dimension so they don’t look lifeless? What lighting setup would work best for this style?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

1

So, this is a bit of a guess on my part, but if I was to try tackling this I would:

  1. Use a light tent, that helps with the fairly even lighting, but with just enough to create a shadow and that adds to depth.

  2. If I didn't have a light tent, I would probably use some seamless white paper and lay out the clothing on that. I think it's lying flat, so you may need to use a chair or ladder to go above it.

  3. I can't be sure, but it may be a single light set up, high and to the top left a bit. The shadows on the right are pretty small, so it may also be a bit of fill from the bottom right. Either way, a nice softbox is going to give soft, even, lighting. You may want to experiment with the strength of the light(s) and the distances a bit. It's not like your model will complain, so take a bunch of shots. :)

  4. As for filling out the clothing a bit... I'd probably use bubble wrap or something similar. The wrap with the really big bubbles, which you could probably get from a company such as U-Haul that supports the moving industry, might just do the trick nicely. It's probably what I would try, maybe cut to shape and placed inside. Not a lot of dimension, but it give some, as this image appears to do.

In terms of the strobes, go ahead and experiment, the softboxes will do what's need to soften and even things out. I don't know what camera you have, so remote control of the strobes I can't advise on, other than if you're using the built-in flash of the camera as a commander, take it out of the mix with your menu settings and just let it fire the signal and not join in the light. Shoot manual too, don't let the camera pick.

Anyways, that's some ideas. Perhaps others can chime in.

Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user472

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For this look, laying the clothing flat on a seamless white background is the most practical approach. The sample image is likely a flat-lay shot photographed from above, not hanging.

To keep the clothes from looking lifeless, arrange them carefully so they hold a natural shape and let subtle shadows provide depth. Shoot from overhead using a chair, ladder, or similar support to keep the camera square to the garment.

For lighting, aim for soft, even illumination rather than harsh directional light. A large softbox works well as a main light placed high and slightly to one side. The example appears to have gentle shadowing on one side, which gives dimension, plus a little fill from the opposite side. With your two strobes, try:

  • 1 softbox as the main light high and slightly left or right
  • 1 weaker fill light from the opposite side or lower angle

A light tent can also help create even light, though seamless white paper is a simple solution for larger garments. Since clothing won’t move, experiment with light distance and power until you get clean whites and soft shadows.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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