The importance of good photography cannot be overstated. If you’re selling online, photography is your first and only impression.
Ecommerce doesn’t afford customers the luxury of feeling how soft a product is, examining how expertly crafted it is, or how effortlessly it drapes.
Good pattern photos should be well lit, in-focus, appealing, and show the details of the knitwear clearly. Remember that the average knit shoot is a little bit more product-oriented than the average fashion shoot- feel free to get creative but make sure you can still see the sweater!
But for now, a few quick editing photos insights to help you avoid some of the common pattern photo pitfalls.
Planning
I generally do this by making a list of ideas and props and then decide on the settings.
You can use one set up and take all angles, zoom in and out, and show off the detail.
Think about where youโll be using these images, social media pictures can be more playful!
As always be original, that is the best way to create good images.
And better to perfectly execute on a simpler aesthetic, than a poor execution on a more complex aesthetic.
Materials
I used to think I would never be able to achieve the photos I wanted without being a photographer, owning an expensive camera, and fancy lightroom. That’s not true.
Below is a list of exactly what I use:
โข Tripod
โข Bluetooth remote
โข A white wall or backdrop
โข VSCO app (phone) – just the free version
โข Photoshop app* (desktop). *Gimp is a free Photoshop alternative that can produce a similar result.
Lighting
Natural light goes a long way, aim to shoot in the morning light, finishing prior to the hour that the sun streams directly into your windows.
If you use a white backdrop, you have to stand 2-3 feet away from it or will result in dark shadows.
I personally don’t wear makeup in general, but I do wear makeup for shoots because I have found that the camera and lighting tend to wash out my natural coloring and features, so makeup neutralizes that effect.
Editing photos
After you’ve taken infinitely more shots than you’ll ever use, it’s time to narrow down and start editing. The process is tedious and requires practice to truly perfect, but the transformation often provides the fuel you’ll need to keep going.
Sp\o skim through all your shots, looking for a combination of the good face and well-styled product then start.
โข VSCO Edit: in the VSCO app. Choose one filter, set your best exposure and contrast (this will vary based on product color and how the light has hit). Sometimes your product color will create a warmer or cooler tone than your desired. Increasing saturation will add warmth, and decreasing saturation will cool down the photo.
Once you’ve applied your desired adjustments to one photo, you can copy and paste these edits onto future photos.
โข Photoshop Edit: Crop is the best to set up the image perfectly cropped. You can increase the brightness/contrast of your images to make the products pop.
It’s good to keep in mind that you won’t achieve perfection on your first try. A healthy goal is simply improvement.
Makers like Two of Wands, Lauren Aston Designs, and Sewrella have all nailed unique photography styles that are now arguably iconic to their brands. There’s no right way to do it, so take the insights that are helpful to you, test them, and leave the rest.