Fashion photography is a famously glamorous world, right? Think beautiful locations, world class makeup artists and models who don’t get out of bed for less than $20k.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it!), the world of eCommerce fashion photography is somewhat different. Low budgets mean eCommerce fashion photographers are confronted with low-budget fashion set ups, short deadlines and a dearth of garments to shoot.

Source: Circle Love

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative and produce great fashion photography that

• helps your eCommerce site ooze professionality,
• sets it apart from its competitors, and
• boosts sales.

Below, you’ll find my tips on what to do and what not to do when shooting fashion photography for eCommerce.

The Do’s

Be Prepared

The biggest ‘Do’ of all, which essentially encompasses many of the below tips, is ‘Be prepared!’  Unlike other forms of photography, such as street photography, fashion shoots require a lot of preparation – from booking models, makeup artists, studio time to rigging up the right lighting and editing post-production.

If you don’t feel up to managing the high level of organization required (and have the budget), it might be worth booking a shoot manager to run the show. Remember, a disorganized shoot is a failed shoot and will be a waste of time and money.

Decide on a style

Pick one that is both consistent with your brand and reflective of the product line you’re shooting. This applies to both studio shoots and lifestyle shoots. Do you want your shoot to be clean and traditional? Or a combination of clean and kooky?

For example, fashion brand Cos does a great job of combining traditional white background studio shots with a quirky, utilitarian art direction that communicates their unique clothing range.

Source: Cos

Be inspired by others

One of the most important parts of the fashion shoot planning process is gathering creative inspiration. This usually entails riffling through fashion magazines and other eCommerce sites to get ideas for backdrops, model poses and lighting.

Anything I like, I cut out or copy and create a mood board that can be used as a reference during the shoot. I find this process really useful as it can help generate my own creative ideas beforehand as well as provide a helping hand when I hit a creative wall during shoots.

Source: Fashion Shoot Experience

Get creative with locations

If you’re looking to supplement straight up white background product images with lifestyle model images, try ditching the studio and getting out into the wilderness. This will give you lots of opportunities to mix things up and try things out. For example, try

• using natural light,
• exploring gritty urban backgrounds or
• just hitting your local park or playground and using the equipment there to add a touch of color.

Source: Pinterest

Pay attention to the garments

It’s easy to get caught up in your creative vision and forget who the star of the show is: the garment. The garment should take center stage. Make sure that it’s crease-free, stain-free and immaculate.

In addition, pay attention to its visibility during the shoot and make sure the key features are on show. Does it have a special feature on the back? Does the fabric hang in a special way? Make sure all of these aspects are included in your shoot list.

Get the lighting right.

Whether you’re shooting outside, in the studio or in an underground garage, try to get as consistent a light as possible so you don’t need to change it up halfway through the shoot. Fiddling with lights and exposure settings in the middle of the shoot can break the flow of things and distract the model, so it’s best to perfect the lighting ahead of the shoot

Source: We Make Websites

The Don’ts

Skimp on the model budget

Using a pro model will make all the difference to your shoot. They’ll feel comfortable in front of the camera and need less direction in terms of what kind of poses and composition you want. This will make the entire shoot process easier for you and the photographer, and the results will speak for themselves. Casting the right model can be an art in itself so make sure you give the process the time it deserves.

Source: Farfetch

Stand still

Ultimately, capturing fashion requires movement. Not just from the model but from you, the photographer. Move around the set or location to uncover unexpected angles, fresh composition and different lighting conditions.

Lose sight of your concept

Fashion shoots can be all-consuming. So much to think about, so little time, and complications such as weather and light conditions do their best to sabotage your plans. Be flexible, but keep focused on your creative concept at all times so the shoot delivers what you intended it to deliver.

Source: Nina Miljus

Overdirect your model

Ideally, if your models are experienced, you communicate your vision, and they act it out. Small prompts and directions from the photographer are great, but often the best results come when the model is relaxed and doing their own thing rather than feeling strangely positioned and awkward.

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Forget about social media

It’s more than likely your eCommerce site will have an online presence over and above just your eCommerce website. Social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook are becoming increasingly important sales opportunities, so it’s worth killing two birds with one stone and shooting images for social media alongside the main eCommerce site images. To help you juggle both during the shoot, write a shoot list specifying shots for each. For example, you could take some ‘backstage at the shoot’ photos for your Instagram feed.

Source: Instagram

What are the main challenges you’ve come up against while shooting fashion for eCommerce? How did you overcome them? I’d love to hear your experiences.

Did you know Pixc can also remove the background from your fashion shots even if they have a model in them? Let us fix them for free!

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