Photography for catalogs and e-commerce, as opposed to editorial shots, needs to showcase the product with bright, even lighting, and focus on the single product versus a complete suggested outfit. Pictures are taken at very high resolution using digital cameras, often tethered to a “digital darkroom” application like Lightroom or Aperture, which makes it much easier to preview the final result than squinting at a small camera viewfinder screen.
Back at the studio, these images are later color-corrected, cropped to a standard size, and then rendered at appropriate resolutions for use in zoomed-closeups and “grid” catalog views for the website. Using a white background and consistent studio lighting makes it easier to match photos from session to session, and also to maintain color fidelity, something that’s absolutely key with luxury clothing.
Editorial photography communicates a mood, in addition to showing the clothing in styled combinations of outfits. For Todd & Duncan, the goal was to show the clothes as rooted in history and craft – based on their origins as a wool mill that had been operating for over 125 years – and yet also acknowledge that they were a fresh competitor in the luxury clothing retail space,
For these images, a space was found that had richly stained wood panels, brick walls, loft windows and some industrial wear and tear, against which the vibrantly coloured and richly textured cashmere tops and sweaters would stand out vividly, classics updated and re-engineered for the 21st century.
Read our Todd & Duncan feature on HOWdesign.com:
6 Keys to Art Directing an Amazing Photo Shoot
By: Michelle Taute
