Selling items on your online store can be hard if you don’t use the right techniques for promoting your products. One of the things that can help you is the ghost mannequin effect. This is sometimes also called invisible mannequin photography.
If you want to know more about the ghost mannequin technique, you’re in the right place. Here is a complete guide to help you master the invisible ghost mannequin effect.
What Is Ghost Mannequin Effect?
The ghost mannequin effect is one of the camera and lighting techniques that photographers use for product photos. You can capture a mannequin shot to display your product easily. Later, you can use Photoshop magic to remove the mannequin from the product image.
Of course, this technique requires some tech skills for editing the product image. You must also know how to apply a background layer and use a paint bucket tool on a white backdrop. Mastering ghost mannequin photography will offer you many benefits, such as a high conversion rate.
Benefits Of Ghost Mannequin Photography
Here are the top benefits of ghost mannequin images to help you understand this technique better:
1. Enhances Product Appearance
The best part about the ghost mannequin effect is that it will help you create high-quality photographs. You can capture different shots from multiple angles to highlight your product. This is because you will be able to remove all distractive stuff from the picture through Adobe Photoshop.
Image editing will allow you to use a white background or change it using different tools. A magic wand can also help you minimize distortion by retouching the invisible model to focus on the product better.
2. Offers Customers Better Understanding
Another benefit of a mannequin image is that it will allow your customer to understand the product better. This is especially true for fashion store owners. You can use specific clothing that fits perfectly on the mannequin to accurately display the product size.
Focusing on the different details from multiple angles will also attract customers more easily. If photographed correctly, you may not have to make much effort to promote your online store.
3. Increases Conversion Rate
Excellent product photography can help you enjoy better conversions. This is because potential customers are mainly attracted to the visuals first. If your ghost mannequin image is of high quality, the client will easily open your website to learn more about the item.
The best part about a higher conversion rate is that you will have better chances of turning the potential buyer into a regular customer. Using proper post-production software will help you create high-quality photographs.
4. Cost-Effective
Another benefit of a ghost mannequin image is that it is cost-effective to create. Using the mannequin illusion will prevent you from hiring a human model for a static pose or other poses. This means you will save more money when creating the invisible mannequin effect.
You will also require fewer resources and will offer a better opportunity for the client to imagine themselves using the product. A refine edge tool or foam board shots also offer more flexibility. You can minimize distractions through the proper tool to focus solely on the item.
How To Create A Ghost Mannequin Effect?
Here is everything you need to know about how to create a ghost mannequin effect:
1. Prepare The Studio Shooting Space
Planning for a photo shoot for your product images is necessary because you must consider various things. For instance, you must prepare the shooting space to meet the guidelines of the online store platform. Remember, Amazon requires sellers to upload pictures with white backgrounds only.
So you must prepare a white background at the studio. Of course, you can also achieve the backdrop through your editing software. So you must decide the best option when preparing the space.
Using the best mannequins that will fit your product is also necessary. Typically, white mannequins are best for creating an invisible mannequin image. You may also require a white foam board for capturing high-quality shots.
Two studio lights will also make it easier to create the best effect. This is why you must get all the items before starting the shoot. Once your studio setup is ready, you can focus on other aspects of ghost mannequin photography.
2. Choose The Correct Size
It is necessary to choose the correct product size that fits the mannequin easily. Remember that ghost mannequin are designed to accommodate clothing and accessories built for different bodies. So you can get different options, depending on a particular product.
For instance, you will require a men’s mannequin if you specialize in selling clothing for males. Meanwhile, ghost mannequins for children have a smaller build than other white mannequins. The entire product photography product will be easier if your product fits the invisible model perfectly.
3. Style Uniquely
Styling your invisible mannequin for a high-quality product image is a necessary step in creating the ghost mannequin effect. This is because a customer’s interest will solely be based on the picture. If the style grabs their attention, you make a sale more easily.
You must ensure neat shoulders when promoting clothing products like blazers. It is also necessary to maintain symmetrical fabric for highlighting small details. Using pins will also allow you to make clothing fit the mannequin more easily.
A product floating freely on the mannequin can make image editing very difficult. So you must ensure correct and firm placement using pins. The pins should also remain invisible when capturing ghost mannequin images.
4. Show The Different Details
To create the best ghost mannequin effect, you must show different details of your product in the image. You can do this by styling the product in a way people usually wear the item. For instance, you may roll the sleeves of your shirt a bit to create a more natural appearance.
A telephoto zoom lens will also help you take close-ups without distorting the image or increasing the Photoshop file size. The best part is that this lens will help you highlight every minute detail of your product. It is also easier to take close shots in a studio setting with a lens.
5. Photograph From All Sides
Capturing product images from a camera can be tough if you take all the pictures from one angle. You should avoid such a thing by taking different shots from all sides. For instance, take pictures of the back, use low angles to capture details of the bottom, and much more.
You can also keep the garment inside out for some pictures to show the inner fabric. It will also help the buyer see the tag area properly and understand the product’s sizing better. Multiple pictures from different angles will also make it easier to choose the final ghost mannequin photograph.
Having pictures from all sides will help you choose the best angles and upload them as your product photos.
6. Adjust Lighting
The entire process of creating the ghost mannequin effect depends on your creative skills. Adjusting the lighting to complement the product is as necessary as styling it on a mannequin. You should experiment using low lighting, bright lighting, and other options.
You can also use a white foam board to serve as a smooth but reflective surface. It will also be necessary to create a foam board image for image editing later. Remember that the lighting must be perfect and not reflect the accessories.
For instance, you may pair the mannequin with a necklace for better styling. The light should not reflect the accessories to give a glare to the picture. Editing such things is difficult, so you will have to retake the pictures.
Retaking the ghost mannequin images can be time-consuming. So you must avoid issues by keeping these tips in mind.
7. Use Adobe Photoshop To Your Benefit
The most fun part of creating the ghost mannequin effect is editing on the Photoshop app. Here is a step-by-step guide to using this software to your benefit:
· Create Layers
You must open your mannequin picture and foam board image to create different layers. The mannequin layer must be separate from the other picture for easier editing.
It is also necessary to create a new background layer in each Photoshop file. Be sure to use the paint bucket tool to achieve a white backdrop. You will have to create multiple background layers for easy merging later.
· Separate Your Product
Choose your best mannequin layer and isolate the product using a reliable tool. You may use the quick selection for this purpose. Of course, you may also find the magic wand easier to use.
Lasso may also help you separate the product from the mannequin and the white backdrop.
· Refine And Mask Slightly
Now work your Photoshop magic by refining and masking the image for a better appearance. You can use the refine edge tool from the select menu for this purpose. The best part is that the automatic command does not require many skills.
You should use the cut option to isolate the layer properly. Once you click on delete, everything from the original layer will be deleted. Only your product will remain on a white background.
· Repeat Previous Steps For Foam Board Product Image
You must repeat the earlier steps for foam board images. This is because practice will make your editing skills and final results better.
· Merge The Layers
Lastly, you must use the transform tool to scale the image properly. You may also darken some areas to create shadows for a realistic appearance. Once all editing is done, you can merge the layers to finalize the results.
Tips For Creating The Best Invisible Mannequin Effect
Creating a ghost mannequin effect can be hard, but you can make the same process easier by following some tips. Here are the top three things that will help you master the invisible mannequin effect without much effort:
1. Be Consistent
Being consistent when taking pictures is necessary to achieve a uniform look in all shots. It will also help you achieve a better appearance when uploading pictures to your online shop. You can maintain consistency by following a theme when performing the shoot.
Using specific lighting and camera position will also help with achieving consistency. If you apply a visual filter, you must use it on all the product images for a uniform appearance.
2. Style Many Invisible Mannequins For One Session
Another thing that will help you is styling many ghost mannequins for one session. This will save you the hassle of changing the style of your single mannequin frequently to capture different shots. You will also be able to save more time by using more than one ghost mannequin.
The best part is that preparing many mannequins will boost your productivity. You can also enjoy better workflow and greater creativity when following this tip.
3. Ensure The File Size Is Less Than 50 Mb
The final tip to create a ghost mannequin effect properly is maintaining the correct file size. Remember, some online stores do not allow you to upload pictures exceeding a specific size. This is why your Photoshop file must be the store’s requirement to avoid issues.
Typically, the file size must be less than 50 Mb for better results and easier uploading. However, you may also have to ensure a file size of less than 25 Mb on some online stores such as Shopify.
Of course, an online compressor may help you if you exceed the file size. Some tools allow you to reduce the size without affecting picture quality for a better experience. You will also be able to meet the shop’s image requirements easily.
Final Words
This is everything you need to know about mastering the ghost mannequin effect. The technique is not hard if you follow the steps correctly. It will also help you to watch a Photoshop tutorial before starting to edit the images.
Of course, using Photoshop is not the only choice. You may also use another image editing tool with flexible features, such as a magic wand, lasso, and refining tools.
Once you follow the steps and all the tips, you can create the best product photos using the ghost mannequin effect.
