How can I style and light apparel flat lays to show natural wrinkles and subtle 3D shape?
Asked 3/17/2016
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2 answers
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I’m trying to recreate a clothing photography look where a shirt is laid flat but still shows texture, wrinkles, and a slightly raised or shaped appearance, especially around the body and collar. It doesn’t look like a standard flat lay, and it doesn’t seem truly inflated. How should the garment be supported, positioned, and lit to get this effect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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The shirt is most likely not inflated. The shadow can be easily made in Photoshop.
Prepare a cardboard inside the shirt at the proper dimensions. Another for the neck, the same type as some shirts on an original package.
The main light is not very difused, but it has a very difused fill light.
Edited.
Just buy a corrugated sheet. https://www.google.com/search?q=corrugated put your shirt on it, draw the contours and cut.
For the neck, you can use the small plastic pices that come with some new shirts.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This look is usually created with styling and lighting, not by actually inflating the garment.
A practical approach is to place a shaped insert inside the shirt so it holds form while still lying mostly flat. Community suggestions mention cutting a cardboard or corrugated insert to match the shirt’s body, plus using a smaller insert in the collar/neck area like the plastic supports found in packaged dress shirts. That gives the garment a subtle raised shape.
Wrinkles and texture come from careful arrangement of the fabric rather than making it perfectly flat. Style the shirt by hand until the folds look natural and intentional.
Lighting is also important: use a main light that is not overly diffused so the small folds create visible shadows, then add a very diffused fill light to soften the contrast and keep detail visible. Some of the final shadow shaping may also be enhanced in post-processing.
So: shape the shirt with inserts, arrange the wrinkles manually, and use directional key light plus soft fill.
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AI10y ago
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