If a customer can have a complete view of any subject it creates a positive impression on him or her. It becomes more important when you shoot apparel photos for e-commerce. Otherwise, you cannot attract the customer to buy your products. To make it possible you have to do ghost mannequin photography. This will allow the image editors to apply the ghost mannequin effect to give it a 3D look. Ghost mannequin services permit the viewer to have a clear view of every part of the clothes which as a result increases sale of your garment products. Here you will get some key ideas to help you to make the perfect ghost mannequin photos.
Starting with Ghost Mannequin Photography
You can see two different photos of clothes. In the first picture, we see a model or mannequin wearing the dress. On the other hand, in the second picture, there is no model or mannequin, rather we can see the interior part of the dress is visible. This was possible for the ghost mannequin effect. However, it is not easy to shoot photos for applying ghost mannequin effects. You need to follow certain rules and norms so that it helps the graphic designer when he goes for editing the picture.
Plan Your Cloth Photography
Before starting shooting photos of your apparel products, you have to make a proper plan. While making a plan for ghost mannequin photography, you must keep your image editor or graphic designer with you. Because finally, they will have to apply the photoshop ghost mannequin effects on the pictures. So, take their suggestion on how you will take photos that will be the best for displaying the interior and exterior parts of cloth. Additionally, you have to keep some common photographic techniques in the application as well. You cannot take any chance because low-quality product photos are harmful to your business.
Studio & Accessories Setup
Setting up the studio right is a great factor in clicking some good photos. While setting up your studio keep some basic things in mind.
- Take white or plain color fabric as a backdrop.
- Keep tripods of different size
- You can use a telephoto zoom lens to prevent distortion.
- Pick a large room as your studio so that you can keep a camera, accessories, bags, etc.
- Set two or three umbrellas to control light.
Lighting
Like all other photography, you have to maintain a decent amount of lighting while shooting invisible ghost mannequin photography. Nature is the best source of light. Use the natural light as much as you can. If you are quite professional in shooting apparel photography you can go for artificial lighting as well. Do not use flashes much. That will reflect from the mannequin which will be distracting. However, you can get it corrected by retouching it.
Using Mannequin
As you are shooting photos for the ghost mannequin effect, then this is the most important part. You have to use a model or mannequin for shooting. Otherwise, you cannot show the clothing items in 3D angles. As the cost of the model is high you should go for a mannequin. Adjust different parts of the mannequin perfectly. Make sure there are no wrinkles on the dress.
Use Tripod
You must have seen photographers shooting photos keeping the camera in their hands. It looks cool. But as far as apparel product photography is concerned the best way to shoot is by using a tripod.
The height of the tripod should not exceed chest high. It will help you make some good shots. Tripod keeps the camera fixed so there is no chance of handshaking which results in blurry parts.
Shooting Inside Out
The purpose of mannequin photography is to show a clothing item in a hollow look. The logo, size, or brand name on the neck should be visible. To do that, you have to take several photos showing the upper side which includes the front and back. Then you should click some photos viewing the inside especially the neck side. Let the image editor do the rest for you.
Shooting for Editing
No matter how good your photographs are, you have to get them edited by an expert. While shooting ghost mannequin photos you have to keep in mind that the editor will need to join the neck, make it hollow removing the mannequin. So, take photos in a way that when the graphic designer will edit, the photos look realistic.
Ghost Mannequin Photos Post Processing
The task of photography is not complete until editing is done. Once your photo shoot is done, now it’s time for post-production. You need to follow some steps to complete ghost mannequin photography. Here is the step by step guide for the ghost mannequin effect.
Open Files in Photoshop
This is the first step to follow. Open the file on photoshop and make layers. You can choose the mannequin images from the menu and make a background layer. To keep your works organized, you should label your photoshop layers.
Pick Selection Tool
Now you need to select the cloth in the mannequin image. Zoom in the photos to get a closer look at the edges. Now select the cloth with any selection tool you are an expert in. It can be a lasso tool, quick selection tool, clipping path, or magic wand tool. Your target is to remove the mannequin so that there remains only the cloth. A white background helps a lot in this task. You can easily pick the difference of color between your background and garments.
Refine & Place Mask
As you have selected the whole clothing now it’s time to refine it. You can find the Refine Edge button from the menu. Your photo will float on a white background. Refine the edges repeatedly so that it looks smooth.
Repeat the Same Steps with Cardboard Image
You have to repeat the same steps on the cardboard image. You may find it strange at first hand, but without this interior view, you cannot create a ghost mannequin photo. At the end of your post-production, you will understand how much value it had. Now create a new layer. Make the mask after choosing the apparel. Then refine the mask if necessary.
Combine the Photos
As both images have a clear mask now stretch the mask from the cardboard image to the mannequin image. Place the cardboard layer lower than the mannequin layer. Not do some necessary adjustments to fit the cardboard layer behind the mannequin layer.
Remove Baseless Parts
Now work on the cardboard layer so it’s better you veil the mannequin layer. Remove the baseless with a brush tool. To delete other baseless parts, place the neckline between the shoulders. Make sure the shoulder and neck joint area are in the right place and the layers are fair.
Make Shadow & Save
To make the hollow parts and the interior look real you need to add a touch of shadow. It also makes your product look dynamic. Save the image for your convenience. After that, now you should apply a 3D effect to create your invisible mannequin photo.
Final Thoughts
You can DIY ghost mannequin photography following the steps above. However, if you are looking forward to increasing your return on investment from e-commerce, then you should not do this job yourself. Because this type of editing needs a high level of expertise and experience. You can get expert help from Fix the Retouch. We have a team of expert working day and night to provide the best image editing services including the ghost mannequin services to e-commerce companies.
