Invisible Ghost Mannequin Photography – A Complete Guide to Get Quality Clothing Images

These days photography is no more a personal work or a hobby. For the last several years it has become one of the most vital instruments of the business sector. And there are many businesses that have grown based on photography itself. Be it shooting or editing, everything about photography has huge demand in the market.

Today, along with practicing, people hire photography services as well. Ghost mannequin photography is a very popular genre of fashion photography techniques. A complete guide to getting quality clothing images regarding ghost mannequins can be a one-stop solution for those who are involved with the fashion photography world in any way.

What is Ghost Mannequin Photography?

Ghost Mannequin photography is a particular style of product photography (clothing, to be specific) that vanishes the mannequin in post-production. In apparel product photography, using mannequins is quite common. A mannequin helps to understand the real shape and size of a piece of dress. But in the final image, the mannequin doesn’t look good enough with the apparel.

So, editors remove the mannequin from the image and the final image looks like there is a mannequin, but that is actually invisible. So the image looks clean and elegant. This is called the ghost mannequin effect, the process of making the mannequin invisible. In that way, photographers can show the real features of the dress, and keep the quality of the image high as well.

How to Do Ghost Mannequin Photography?

Ghost Mannequin photography is a bit different from other product photography. This is similar to shooting with a model, except for the cost, makeup, and other things that are needed for a model photoshoot. You need to maintain some rules to do ghost mannequin product photography. Check out how to do –

1. Selecting and Posing Mannequin

First of all, you need to select the right kind of mannequin for your products. Keep both male and female mannequins if you have both kinds of apparel. Make sure the mannequin is not broken anywhere and is in proper shape.

While posing a mannequin, try, check, and find out in which posture, your dress looks best. While posing for a ghost mannequin, remember that only the clothing will appear on the image. Not the mannequin or model.

2. Photography Equipment Setup

Ghost mannequin photography requires basic photography equipment. It’s better if you can shoot in a studio because there you can set everything up according to your need. Here is the list of equipment you’ll need –

• Camera
• Tripod
• Light Setup
• Backdrop
• Mannequin

I. Camera for Ghost Mannequin Photography

A standard camera for the studio will work well enough for ghost mannequin photography. You can choose any camera that is good for fashion photography. Make sure the lens is not too wide so that you can avoid distortion. Here is a list of cameras that you can pick for ghost mannequin photography –

• Canon 6D Mark II (best overall)
• Sony Alpha A7R III (if you’re a mirrorless fan)
• 1.5 Nikon D850 (best in Nikon)
• Canon EOS 7D Mark II (for those on a budget)
• Sony A7III (best full-frame)

Camera Settings

As the ISO controls the amount of grain in the image, the lower the ISO, the less noise the image will have. Keep the ISO as low as possible to reduce grain.

You need to keep the apparel area sharp, which is controlled by the aperture number. The lower f-stop makes blurs in the image and the higher f-stop sharpens all the area. Set the aperture number medium so that you get an equally sharp focus everywhere on the apparel.

And then set the shutter speed according to the light condition. As you’re using a tripod, there is no chance of getting a blurry image. And finally, set the white balance in Auto. White Balance controls the color tone of the image. If it’s set to something else, you’ll have to work with it in the post-production to bring back the original color.

So, here’s how it goes –

ISO: 100 (lowest possible)
Aperture: f/8 or f/16
Shutter Speed: around 1/90 (according to the light condition)
White Balance: Auto

II. Lighting Setup for Ghost Mannequin Photography

Setting the light correctly is important in invisible mannequin photography. The main concern in this part is to avoid shadows on the product. The mannequin and the background won’t be visible so you’ll have to control the light on the apparel only. You‘ll need soft & equally distributed light on the product to get the best result.

You can use softboxes or flashes for the shoot. To avoid shadows, you can use a reflector. Set the lights in the same directions so that it doesn’t create any unnecessary shadows. Try to provide the same amount of light from both sides. It’s better to use a light meter to measure the amount of light accurately.

3. Photographing the Clothing Product

Now, after setting everything up, it’s time to shoot! Take several shots from the front and back. Remember to take clear pictures of the back collar as this will be added separately in post-processing. After shooting check the images if the light and color are perfect.

How to Edit Ghost Mannequin Photography in Photoshop?

Ghost Mannequin effect is a combination of several steps. First, you need to select and remove the mannequin part. Then change the background if it’s required. And finally cut the collar from another image and add it to the original image. You’ll also have to merge the collar in a way so that it looks natural.

Ghost Mannequin Product Photography Pro Tips

Ghost mannequin product photography deserves some extra attention because of the nature of this photography. Apart from knowing everything about the shoot, you need to concentrate on the small details. Here are some pro tips from ghost mannequin photography –

Fix the tripod: Set the tripod at a specific place so that you can get all the images with the same frame.

Shoot the back part: There is no choice of ignoring the back collar in any way. This part needs to be visible with a clear appearance of the neck label.

Pose: Try to keep the image straight, don’t put the hand in pockets or anywhere. Keep it as formal as possible.

Framing: Tale the photo from eye level. If you have the option then take some more photos from different angles but keep the frame simple.

Wrinkles: While taking images of clothing, clean the apparel properly and make sure to have the lowest wrinkles and spots possible.

Hire Professional Ghost Mannequin Photography Services

For ghost mannequin photography, just anyone is not enough. This is complex work and you need someone who has experience and knowledge of the ghost mannequin effect. There are photography services that offer invisible mannequin photography but finding the best ones is quite difficult. We’re here to help you with the decision –

Square Shot

Square Shot says they’re scattered across the world, purposefully. You can find their studios in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Austin. They’ve rush turnaround time, which is twice as fast as standard time. You can check the portfolio on their site, which definitely won’t fail to impress you!

Square Shot is the place where you can find photoshoot and image editing services at one place. Standard retouching comes free of cost with editing. They also provide revisions till there is a problem with the file. The only thing that might upset you a bit is that you can’t join the team while shooting.

Reasons to hire :

• Option of test Shots
• Transparent process
• Assistance for new clients

Damion Lloyd

Damion Lloyd is a product and fashion photography studio. They have a wide range of photography services available to offer all over the US. They have already served some high-profile clients and that proves the quality of work. Along with the price, don’t forget to check out their team, that will surely amaze you.

Table lay, pinwall lay, model shoot, invisible mannequin, apparel photography, lifestyle, 360 product photography, video services, etc are the names of the services Damion Lloyd has for you. Their work is undoubtedly excellent in every sense. Mannequin for clothing photography is just one of the many experts they have.

Reasons to hire:

• No hidden or additional charge
• Variety of services
• Rich in experience

Zeelum

After opening the site of Zeelum, you’ll see the photo of their workspace and it looks really cool and clean. They mainly work with the fashion industry. You can have custom work done along with the assistance of stylists and creative directors. And according to them, they have something suitable for everyone!

Along with photography services like flat lay, live clips, headshots, and model shoots, Zeelum also offers studio and equipment rentals. They provide ghost mannequin clothing photography which is very high in quality and reliable. Their pro and creative team are always ready to receive any amount of work you give them.

Reasons to hire:

• Planning assistance
• Save records for future use
• Offers basic retouching

Space Light

You can get your eCommerce photography, catalog, look book, and video production done fromSpace Light. They have services from fashion photography to graphic design to digital compositions all in one place. You’ll just have to ship your products to Miami, San Francisco, or New York and they’ll take care of the rest.

Space light has fashion apparel, products, kids photography, headshot, flat lay, editorial, before-after, etc. They also have a service for creating product videos. Though you can see a wide range of services available here, this is no less successful as a ghost mannequin photography studio.

Reasons to hire:

• Large enough studio
• Plenty of other related services
• Join the shoot offline or online

Ether Arts

Ether Arts present an honest statement of their skills in different areas of photography and videography. They are showing exactly what they do and what they value clearly on their site. Also, if you doubt them because of the low cost, clients’ reviews are right on their site to guide you.

Apart from ghost mannequin photography service, they have lifestyle, product photography, Amazon product photography, jewelry photography, ghost mannequin apparel photography, cosmetics photography, industrial product photography, product infographics photography, and electronics photography. With more than 650 satisfied clients they’re successfully running their creative place.

Reasons to hire:

• Around 12 product photography locations
• Low cost
• Volume discounts

Where to Outsource Ghost Mannequin Photo Editing Service?

There is more than one option to get your ghost mannequin photos edited. Many photo editing company provide the service of ghost mannequin photo editing online. Among them, the best one is Clipping Path Studio. This is so far the most reliable option to edit your ghost mannequin images.

Clipping Path Studio is working in the photo editing field for so many years which has made them well-experienced in this field. The editors they have are committed and experts in what they do. Their flawless works have already satisfied thousands of clients. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a free trial and only then do you decide about them.