Styling with Movement in Flat Product Photography
I want to revisit a topic of one of our blog posts from last year as I get a lot of questions from clients on this subject. This is the topic of how to have your apparel styled. This blog will discuss flat styling. Please refer to our blog earlier this year to learn about the advantages and differences between flats and ghost styling.
Once you decide you want to shoot flats or “no form” (e.g., no ghost mannequin styling, clothing is laid flat as opposed to being worn on a mannequin) and prefer the this aesthetic, the next consideration is how much movement you want your image to have.
A flat product shot with no movement
Obviously, we aren’t creating a video of your apparel (though we can do that), but “movement” in this context refers to styling and shaping any part of the apparel with curves, bends, wrinkles, folds, etc. If you think to a classic J.Crew catalog image, it often has some form of movement (e.g., wrinkles, bunching of fabric, bent arms). This styling elevates the visual impression of the garment which then results in a better visual reaction from the viewer/buyer.
Flat images for J.Crew with a nice amount of movement
At StyleExpo Photography, our team of in-house stylists can produce any level of movement that best matches the aesthetic you want for your images.
Mild movement with some wrinkling and bunching of fabric
Bent-arms styling
Fluid movement with bent and styled arm as well as a fabric turnover
However, as you move up the styling scale with movement more time will be required to style each sample. We suggest you keep that in mind when planning your next shoot. If you are more focused on the number of shots per hour to populate your linesheets for Joor or Nuorder, we suggest you stick with No Movement or Mild Movement, as you want to keep the styling straight forward and focus on volume.
Reference your preferred level of movement when you call StyleExpo to book your next product shoot or ask our styling experts to weigh in .
StyleExpo Photography has 20 years of experience servicing the fashion, jewelry, beauty and homegoods industry. Studios in NYC and LA offer services ranging from one-hour table-top jewelry shoots to a full-day lifestyle model shoot on location. Rates are per-shot for send-in work, though we do offer hourly rates for clients wanting to participate at the shoot. Turnaround is 3-4 business days and all images can be resized and cropped ready to populate your website or linesheet. Call us today to discuss your shoot. 213.394.6307 or contact megan@styleexpo.com
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