When you look at a magazine or buy stuff online you will see models. They are the hangers for the clothes and jewellery. They are just second in importance. The items should stand out not the model.

One niche in photography is apparel. As a clothing photographer it is your duty to find a way to bring out the best in the item. Finding a way to make the garment look good is not as simple as it sounds.

Clothes do not have a life. They are flat items that just lie there. You need to learn the lighting techniques that can make it look good and catch attention. The right balance of dark and light will make the piece pop on camera. It will give it definition.

All things need to be wrinkle free. Creases do not enhance the look of the material. It needs to be iron or steamed to look perfect. Investing in a steamer will help if you have a lot of pictures you want to take. Steaming is not as harsh as ironing so it is better for the fabric.

If you have the time you can hire a model for your photo shoots. Working with a person will show the buyers how the outfit should look when it is worn. This will require more time to take pictures than if you were to just capture the items alone.

If your business is retail clothing, a good investment is to buy several mannequins or dress forms. They can be used to hang clothing and it will achieve the same purpose of showing how it should look when worn by a person.

When you take photos, ideally the whole item should be seen. All the details need to be visible. So placing them on a table or folded would not show them in the right light. It would be more suitable on a garment rack or dress form. Customers will demand to see every part and detail so each piece will need multiple pictures.

Apparel photography is mainly for commercial use. The fashion industry uses it for their magazines and catalogues. Businesses use it because a lot of people like to buy stuff online. Regular people who sell items online also do it. When you are dealing with customers that are shopping through a web site, the photos are all they have to go by. They rely on it to give them an accurate idea of what the clothes look like. That is why getting the best possible image is crucial.

Remember lighting is important. Catch the details of the item. Iron all apparel so that it looks pristine and crisp when it is presented. It needs to be presented in the best possible way to attract buyers. The better the picture is, the more attractive your piece will look and the more buyers it will attract.