How to photograph clothes to sell online: a phone and a window

To photograph clothes to sell, use daylight from a window with the flash off, lay or hang the piece against a plain background, and take the same set of shots every time: the whole front, the whole back, the label, a close-up of the fabric and every flaw. Your phone is plenty. What makes a listing photo work is light and honesty, not equipment.

Buyers cannot touch the piece, so the photos have to answer the questions their hands would. Here is how to do that in about five minutes a garment.

Light: the one thing that matters most

Daylight shows a garment's true shade and texture better than any bulb. Set up near a large window during the day, ideally out of direct sun, which throws hard shadows and bleaches dark fabrics.

• Turn the flash off. It flattens texture and makes shiny fabrics glare.
• Avoid mixed light. A ceiling light on at the same time as the window gives a yellow cast on one side.
• Overcast days are your friend. Cloud acts like a giant softbox and gives even, gentle light.
• Shoot dark pieces in the brightest spot. Black and navy lose all their detail in dim rooms.

If a piece looks a different shade on your screen from real life, say so in the description: "the photos make it look bluer than it is".

Background: plain and uncluttered

A plain surface keeps attention on the clothes. A made bed with a light sheet, a clean floor, a wooden door or a bare wall all work. Move anything else out of shot: laundry baskets, pets, mirrors that reflect you.

Keep the background the same across all your listings if you can. It makes your wardrobe look tidy and considered when a buyer visits your profile.

Flat lay, hanger or worn?

Each has its place.

• Flat lay works for most things: tops, jeans, knitwear and children's clothes. Smooth the piece out, straighten the seams and shoot from directly above so it does not look distorted.
• On a hanger suits coats, dresses and shirts that hang well. Use a slim hanger, hang it from a door or a hook, and shoot straight on at chest height.
• Worn shows drape and fit, which helps with dresses and tailoring. You do not need to show your face. If you include worn photos, still include a flat or hanging one so the true shape is clear.

Iron or steam the piece first. Creases look like wear in a photo, even when they are not.

The shots to take every time

Work through the same list for each garment so nothing gets missed.

1. The whole front, filling most of the frame.
2. The whole back.
3. The brand and size label, sharp enough to read.
4. The composition and care label, so buyers can see what it is made of. It also helps them judge quality, as our guide to checking a wool coat explains.
5. A close-up of the fabric, to show texture, knit or weave.
6. Details that add value: buttons, hardware, a lining, a pattern that lines up at the seams.
7. Every flaw, however small.

Photographing flaws honestly

This is the photo most sellers skip, and the one that protects you most. A small mark shown up front rarely loses a sale. The same mark found in the parcel can lead to a problem report and a refund.

• Get close and keep it sharp. Tap the screen to focus on the flaw.
• Put a finger or a coin beside it for scale.
• Shoot pilling, marks and worn cuffs in raking light from the side, which shows texture.
• Hold thin fabric up to the window to show any small holes.

On Rewear you can list flaws on the listing and pin each one to the photo that shows it, so a buyer sees exactly where it is.

Getting the shade right

Shade is one of the most common reasons a buyer is disappointed. Your phone may "correct" the image towards what it thinks is normal.

• Do not use filters or beauty modes.
• Check the photo on your screen against the garment in daylight before you list.
• Describe the shade in words too: "forest green", "oatmeal", "washed black".

Tidy, sharp and the right way up

A few final checks before you upload:

• Wipe your lens. A smudge on the camera makes every photo look hazy.
• Hold the phone steady, with your elbows tucked in, or rest it on something.
• Crop out the edges you do not need, but never crop out a flaw.
• Choose a strong first photo. It is the one buyers see in search, so make it the clearest view of the whole piece.

Add the measurements while it is laid out

When the piece is flat for its photos, it is already in the right position to measure. Measurements are optional on Rewear, but buyers ask about fit more than anything else, and a listing with the figures answers that before they have to message you. Our guide to measuring clothes for selling shows which numbers to take for each kind of garment, and how to measure clothes for buying (and selling) online explains how buyers use them.

Ready to list?

When you start a listing on Rewear, the app suggests a title, category and a first draft of the description from your photos, and you correct anything that is wrong. Listing is free and there is no selling fee. For the rest of the process, see our beginner's guide to selling clothes online in the UK.

The short version

Window light, flash off, plain background. Front, back, labels, fabric, details and every flaw. Check the shade against the real thing, keep the first photo clean and clear, and measure while the piece is laid out.