Great photos are the best way for prospective clients to show off clothes for sale. Start by steaming and rolling the clothes to make them look their best, then show them off in the format of a mannequin, model, or flat lay.
To capture the colors and details of each garment, use a light background, bright and natural lighting, and lots of distinct perspectives.
Here are some tips you should pay attention to so you can take better photos of your secondhand clothes in order to prepare them to sell.
Iron Your Clothes
Hang up your clothes and use a tiny handheld steamer to smooth out fabric creases. Smooth, wrinkle-free clothing will look much more polished and customer-friendly. If your clothes have stains, remove them. If with bleach or a Tide pen, you can quickly get the stains out of yourself, remove the stains yourself. If the clothing is sensitive or hard to clean, however, bring it to a dry-cleaner to remove any stains.
And, if all that fails and some minor stains remain, decide whether you are willing to indicate this in the product description before selling. You must be honest about the quality of secondhand clothes, but some people are willing to buy clothes with minor or unnoticeable stains for a fair price.
Look Closely
Look for problems like loose threads, missing buttons, rips, or broken zippers over each piece. You can solve most of these tiny issues by buying hanging thread, trimming, or sewing matching buttons back on. However, it is not as easy to fix problems like broken zippers or significant rips.
If there are any issues, document them and include the problems in your post.
Take Initial Photos
Smartphone images can look beautiful with bright, natural lighting and get the work done. Use your back-facing camera to frame the garment next to a sunny window. Focus on the clothing, and adjust the brightness, then take photos.
Use a Digital Camera
Using a DSLR to take pictures will make your listings look even more professional and better. A higher number of megapixels can capture the color and details of the clothing more. To avoid graininess, set your ISO to no higher than 600-640. Set your aperture above F/11 to maintain all the garment detail in focus. It is also important to note that you need to take photos at different angles.
Use a White, Gray, or Black Backdrop
This will assist in maintaining coherent lighting, deterring distractions, and guaranteeing accurate captures of the colors. You can use a white wall or a smooth sheet, or you can buy a roll of seamless paper from a photography store for a little more money.
Purchase a Mannequin
Mannequins are an excellent investment that can assist you in making your photographs consistent and maintaining your low budget for the future. You can set up the mannequin at any moment and take photos without paying or planning for a model. Mannequins also allow visualization of clients wearing clothes.
You can buy a standing, full-body clothing mannequin, or you can get a set of partial hollow-backed mannequin bodies, as well. These also come in other sets that include a baby mannequin that is male, female, and gender-neutral.
Get a Model
Viewing the clothes on the model provides the client with a better understanding of what the gears in actual life will look like. A successful model can also appeal to your target market more obviously. You might ask a friend to assist you with the modeling, as well.
To save money, use the first side, front, back, and close-up detail shots with a mannequin or dummy, and use the model to show what the clothing article looks like when paired with an outfit. And if you're good with self-timer on your camera, you could even model the clothes yourself to save money!
Conclusion
Selling online can be tough. Especially when it comes to used items or things you want to convince people are good enough to buy. Follow these tips to take better photos of your secondhand clothes and better attract customers online! For sites that allow you to post photos of and sell your clothes, refer to thredUP.
