How to photograph clothes for a better search

Light

Daylight from a window shows true colours and fine texture. Avoid flash, which flattens detail and adds glare to leather and satin, and avoid mixing warm indoor light with daylight, which shifts colours.

Framing

• One piece, filling the frame. The piece should take up most of the photo.
• Its most distinctive side. The side of a trainer, the front of a jacket, the clasp of a bag.
• Flat or worn, but not crumpled. Laid flat or on a hanger shows the shape; on a person shows the fit. Both work.

Details that help

Brand names and model numbers printed on a piece are the strongest clues there are. In our tests, reading the text on a piece was the change that helped most: a watch was named exactly because its model number was readable on the face. If a logo, label or name is visible, get it in the photo.

Worn, creased and dirty pieces

Don’t wait for a perfect piece. In our tests, worn and dirty trainers were identified as well as clean ones, as long as the photo was sharp and showed the side of the shoe.

A quick checklist

1. 1

   Find good light

   Near a window, out of direct sun.

2. 2

   Frame one piece

   Close enough that it fills the photo, with its most distinctive side to the camera.

3. 3

   Add the clues

   Logo, label, model name: include them if they’re there.

4. 4

   Check it’s sharp

   Zoom in on the photo before you search.

Questions