I have worked with many catalogs and on line companies. From Neiman Marcus to Spiegel’s, and I know from experience that a bad photo can kill sales on your website. Even professional companies that have lots of money to make sure their photography is top notch have times where the picture doesn’t do the product justice.
The following tips will help to insure you do everything possible to make your items look good:
- Choose a professional model – There is a reason why there are professional models. They know how to make your fashion item look its best. You also want to create a look that your customer wants to aspire to. Using regular people for your shot usually doesn’t elevate your clothing. But, a great model can make an average item look amazing.
- Choose a professional photographer – Again there is a reason why you would use one. They know how to compose a photo to make your clothing and accessories look their best.
- Use good lighting – Lighting is a key factor in creating a successful image. Lighting determines not only brightness and darkness, but also tone, mood and the atmosphere. Therefore it is necessary to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best texture, vibrancy of color and luminosity on your subjects.
- Make sure your garments fit well and are steamed or pressed – Allowing the customer to see the shape and natural draping of each product will give them a realistic idea of how the garment will fit on them—not to mention a higher quality shopping experience. Fitting the items can go a long away, too. If your garment seems to be too big for your model, try fitting pinning it and tucking your garment so that it is styled to fit properly. The worst is when a piece is wrinkled. Making your clothing look its best sounds like a no brainer but you would be surprised at how many times this is overlooked.
- Make sure your customer can accurately see your merchandise. If the item gets delivered and it looks different from what the customer expected, you can be sure it will be returned.
Put effort into your photos and try and represent your products in the best and most professional way that you and your budget can put together! Remember you are just not selling fashion you are trying to create desire in your customer.