People who have online clothing stores generally use either a live model or a mannequin in photographing products. Compared to a live model, mannequins are more efficient and are more cost-effective. It is usually referred to as ghost mannequin photography since the final photos do not show the mannequin itself. The tricky thing about it is that with a ghost mannequin effect, the clothes are shown with a 3D or hollow man effect. This is a genius way of showing the customers how the clothes will look like when worn.
Although there are recommended steps in doing ghost mannequin photography, there is actually no particular set of ways to create this 3D effect. In fact, the techniques will vary according to the type of clothing being photographed. Accessories, like jewellery, also use the same techniques in order to achieve the same effect.
Why Is It Important to Learn About Ghost Mannequin Photography?
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In the world of retail, you need to stand out against the competition in order to increase sales. There are many established ecommerce websites and online sellers that you are competing with hence the need to improve your styles in presenting your own products. Ghost mannequin photography is one of the most creative ways to make the customers appreciate the clothes that you sell. By mastering invisible mannequin photography, you get to present professional-looking clothes that look better than photos using flat-lay photography.
Best Resources or Tutorials to Learn About Ghost/Invisible Mannequin Photography
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To guide you in learning all about the hollow man effect, here are several resources that you can use. They are very easy to follow tutorials and will surely make you master this technique in no time:
1. How to Photograph a Shirt on a Ghost Mannequin
Creating the ghost mannequin technique will be tons easier if you have the best source material. This means that you need to shoot the clothes on the mannequin correctly.
In this tutorial, you will be taught about how to effectively create the 3D effect by styling the shirt the right way. Getting it right means taking shots at multiple angles in order to get every detail of the product. It will teach you how to make the clothes look better after being photographed by folding and tucking certain parts with every shot. This will ensure that you have great photos to work with during post-production.
2. Tips on Photographing Your Clothes Using a Ghost/Invisible Mannequin
For this tutorial, you will be given five tips on how to photograph your clothes using the invisible mannequin technique. Aside from teaching you about high-end retouching, you will see how modern mannequins have become that you can actually take the parts apart in order to achieve the best shots without any surface of the mannequin showing up. This is actually great since it will lessen the necessary steps in editing out the white/mannequin parts from the photos. If done right, you will have the best ghost mannequin photos for all your products.
3. How to Create Ghost Mannequin in Photoshop
Photoshop is one of the most popular applications that let you achieve professional-looking product photos. Photo editing services providers use it so it will be an advantage if you learn about it too.
In this tutorial you will be guided through using a step-by-step video lesson that you can follow on your own Photoshop app. The video is a live demonstration of how you can create the ghost mannequin technique on a shirt. This tutorial is great both for those who are already familiar with how Photoshop works, and those who are just learning to grasp its different functions.
The best thing about this tutorial is that you will be taught how to get into the tiniest details of the photo so you can perfectly cut out the product from the background. This will result in a professional-looking finish as if your photos have undergone high-end retouching through a clipping path service.
4. Photoshop Ghost Mannequin Effects Editing Service
A neck joint service is among the most popular image editing services offered for online shop owners. While this type of service is generally inexpensive, it will also be fun to learn how the professionals do it.
This is another Photoshop tutorial about invisible mannequin technique where a live model is used instead of a mannequin. The highlight of the video is teaching you the importance of getting the neck joint right and perfectly aligned. This step is very important to master since it will give your photos a seamless and accurate finish.
5. Ghost Mannequin / Invisible Mannequin Photo Editing Using Photoshop
Invisible mannequin photography is encouraged if you do not want to have product photos that look lifeless in flat-lay photography. It is essential that you learn how to create depth and dimension to the final photos. With this tutorial, you will learn more tips on how to get artistic with your shots and how you can effectively create the 3D effect on a variety of products.
Additional Resource:
READ: Invisible Mannequin Photography: Increase Apparel Sales With This Post-Production Technique
The ghost mannequin technique does not end after taking photos of the product. A post-processing of the photos is required to create the 3D effect. The process involves a few steps to combine the photos in order to create an image where the garment will look like being worn by an invisible person. This tutorial is an actual workflow of how the post-production technique is done.
More than the usual image editing services, like clipping path service, there are many other ways to improve product photography for you online store. The ghost mannequin technique is an innovative way of presenting the products to customers.
It may seem difficult at first but with these tutorials on ghost mannequin photography, you will see how easy it can be. Most of the tutorials are short but they will show all the useful instructions that you can apply for doing invisible mannequin photography. Master the steps, learn from the tips being mentioned, and practice the technique until you get it right with your own product photos.
There are a few different Photoshop retouching methods out there to remove blemishes and achieve flawless skin. However, today I will be focusing on one in particular that I believe is the BEST way to retouch skin AND I will be giving you a free Photoshop Action that you can download so you can always produce these results.
First, let’s just go over the different kinds of techniques that are out there. Among the most common are:
1. PS tools on a duplicate layer
Using either one or a mixture of the Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, and Patch Tool you can touch up skin imperfections on a new duplicate layer of your image. I always encourage you to keep an original of your image on the bottom layer in case of mistakes.
2. Frequency Separation
This process puts high and low-frequency information onto different layers.
Mannequin Skin Photoshop Actions Tutorial
High-frequency information holds all the details like hair, texture, pores, fine lines, and skin imperfections.
Low frequencies carry information about shadows and skin color.
3. Dodge & Burn
This technique is when you lighten and darken specific parts of your photo using local curve adjustments.
When using this technique for skin retouching, you want to lift dark spots of the skin and darken light spots of the skin to create a smooth transition and visually clear skin.
We will be focusing on the third technique, dodge & burn because this is a non-intrusive technique that does not damage pixels within your file.
Mannequin Skin Photoshop Actions Photoshop
What you’ll get when you downloading your FREE PS Action
Inside this free action you will find already made curve adjustments neatly packed into their appropriate folders so you stay organized while editing.
Copy 2 Layer:
This layer will create a desaturated duplicate of your bottom layer. This is because when looking at transitions between skin we do not want to confuse color in this process. Therefore it is best to work in black and white, and you can delete this layer at the end of the skin retouching process.
Mannequin Skin Photoshop Actions Download
Local D&B Folder:
Use local D&B for small details on skin (blemishes, and spots). Work on these layers first to make skin transitions as smooth as possible.
Global D&B Folder:
use these layers to do “big picture” D&B. For example: if you need to darken the entire under-cheek area, or contour around the face.
Eye Layer:
Use this layer to brighten eyes.
While on your adjustment layer, use a soft brush between 5-20% opacity and brush over the opposite color on your mask layer. This means where you have a black mask layer, use a white paintbrush at a low opacity to paint over on your file where you want to brighten or darken certain areas.
To show you how to use it I will walk you through a recent skin retouching that I have done. Please note that this model has beautiful skin, but cameras tend to capture all details within the skin that normally our eye would not notice.
Step one: Open your file and apply your FREE PS Dodge & Burn Action
You can find this in your Actions tab, or by going to Window > Actions, then select Dodge & Burn and hit the play button.
Step two: Work on your Skin retouching in the individual layers by “painting” on white with a soft brush on a low opacity
Do this for your local adjustment layer (details/blemishes) and global (big picture/contouring). Keep working and building up your painting. Be patient because this can take time and lots of attention to detail!
Mannequin Skin Photoshop Actions Images
Remember that you’re working with a black & white copy that you can later delete. Here’s what this process looks like without the b&w adjustment layer on.
And Voila! Smooth skin with minimal pixel manipulation. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out and ask me. I hope you enjoy your free PS Dodge & Burn Action!