, a fantastic storyteller who loves creating magical worlds with her words. She has a passion for creating engaging and informative content that helps readers learn new skills, trends and solve problems. Isabella has a background in photography and marketing, and she enjoys writing about topics photography, entrepreneurship, and more. 

The choice between Ghost Mannequin photography and Flat Lay images comes down to your budget, product type, and target audience.

For example, if you're selling high-end custom suits, ghost mannequin photography is a must to showcase a professional look in your online store. But if you're selling simpler items like scarves or affordable T-shirts, flat lay photos can work just as well.

Experienced online store owners often know which type of image works best for different products like dresses, sweaters, tops, and pants. Many mix and match both styles to create content for their website, social media, ads, and other platforms.

In this guide, we’ll break down the benefits and best uses of both Ghost Mannequin and Flat Lay photography. We like both methods and will explain when we recommend each to our clients.

Why Ghost Mannequin photography is so popular:

- It helps online shoppers see how clothing would look on a person, making the shopping experience feel more like in-store.

- It gives buyers a clearer idea of how the item will fit, helping them picture themselves wearing it.

- Easy to set up with simple, cheap props like clips, pins, and tape.

- Produces lively, realistic images compared to flat lay photos, which can look flat.

- You can add accessories or other items to create a complete outfit.

- Editing the photos after the shoot can be expensive and time-consuming.

- High-quality mannequins with removable parts can be pricey.

- The lighting setup can be tricky, so it's best to hire professionals for the best results.

What is Ghost Mannequin photography used for?

Ghost mannequin photography is often used to create high-quality images of:

This technique is especially popular in premium clothing stores where products have fine details. It's also great for larger items like coats and jackets, which don't look as good in flat lay images.

If photographers don’t have advanced mannequins with removable parts, they usually take two shots of tops—one from the front and one from the back—and edit them together to remove the mannequin.

Now, let's quickly dive into tabletop photography and see how Flat Lay images differ from ghost mannequin shots.

Flat lay photography, also called tabletop photography, is a technique where you take pictures of items arranged on a flat surface from above. It’s commonly used for jewelry, fashion accessories, cosmetics, and, for our focus, clothing and fashion pieces.

 It’s a simple way to create realistic eCommerce images that don’t require much equipment or advanced skills.

 Flat lay photography allows for uniformity in a series of shots with minimal editing.

 Setting up items and lighting is relatively straightforward, making it accessible for newcomers.

 You can photograph almost anything in flat lay style—individual items, groups, on white or colored backgrounds. It’s great for eCommerce and social media, like Instagram collages.

 You can use natural light and inexpensive reflector boards for your shots. For professional results, hiring a photography studio is recommended.

 You need to be careful to maintain a consistent look. This includes marking the surface for symmetry and securing the camera in place.

 If you’re using natural light, your shooting time is limited because the light changes throughout the day.

 Bigger items, like coats and long dresses, can appear stretched or awkward in flat lay images.

Flat lay photography is versatile and commonly used for:

- Tops: T-shirts, shirts, sweaters, cardigans, bras, jackets, and dresses.

- Bottoms: Jeans, skirts, trousers, shorts, socks, and underwear.

Showcasing necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other pieces.

 Displaying items like scarves, hats, belts, and handbags.

Featuring products like makeup, skincare items, and perfumes.

You can create flat lay photos that are either formal or casual, depending on your needs.

 Use colored or textured backgrounds, play with shadows, add fun props, or include a human hand to make your images more dynamic and engaging for social media.

Without creative touches, flat lay images can appear dull.

 It’s important to find a good balance between props and product focus to ensure the image isn’t too busy or distracting.

Tips from Professionals in Ghost Mannequin and Flat Lay Product Photography

- High-quality images are key to driving sales. Investing in a professional photo studio can make a big difference. Poor images can turn potential customers away, so it’s important to prioritize great visuals in your marketing budget.

2. Use Tissue Paper for Volume and Dimension

- Tissue paper is a handy tool in photography, often used without people realizing it. Adding layers of tissue to flat lay images of T-shirts can create depth and make the clothing look more lifelike. For jeans, use stiffer materials that can mimic the shape of human legs, including creases at the knees. When photographing a hoodie on a mannequin, stuff the hood with tissue for added shape.

Ghost Mannequin vs Flat Lay Photography: Right Choices for Ecommerce

When editing in Photoshop, you may often find the colors don’t quite capture the vibrant hues and rich textures as expected. Maybe the rich reds and deep blues that caught everyone's eyes on that recent fashion photoshoot now look flat and uninspiring in the photo. This is where color correction and color grading step in.

While color correction helps fix imbalances and restore true hues, color grading adds a creative touch to enhance the overall mood. From adjusting white balance and exposure to enhancing specific color ranges, Photoshop has everything you need to make your photos look their absolute best.

Let’s walk you through how to color correct and color grade photos in Photoshop with an easy-to-follow guideline.

Color correction is about adjusting the colors in a photo so it looks more like what you actually saw with your own eyes.

As I already said, the colors don't always come out exactly right when you take a picture. It could be that the camera didn't get the white balance right, and things look too blue, orange, or whatever. Or maybe the picture is too light or dark, messing with the colors. There could also just be a weird color tint over the whole photo.

Color correction helps fix these kinds of color issues. It makes the colors look neutral and "true to life," so you have an accurate starting point if you later want to make any other changes to the photo.

Basic Color Correction Techniques in Photoshop

The Levels tool is a powerful way to adjust shadows, highlights, and the tones in between in a photo. To use it:

You'll see some sliders for blacks, whites, and grays. Move these around to deepen the shadows, brighten the highlights, and adjust the midtones how you like.

Use the droppers to set black, gray, and white points for color balance.

The Curves tool lets you tweak shadows, midtones, and highlights even more than Levels. Here’s how to use it:

With Curves, you'll see a line graph that represents the tones from dark to light. You can click on the line to add anchor points and drag them around to directly change the shadows, highlights, or parts in between.

It also lets you adjust the red, green, and blue color channels (RGB) individually. This is for when you just want to adjust one particular color, like pulling back the blues a touch.

If you need a basic color fix but don't want to bother with manually correcting things, you can try Photoshop’s auto color correction.

Just go to Image and look for Auto Color. Upon selecting, Photoshop will analyze the photo and automatically adjust things like the white balance and exposures, and remove any unwanted tones.

It usually does a decent job with one click. But sometimes, the fixes it makes are too strong. If that happens, just lower the opacity of the corrected layer until the colors look more natural again.

The color balance tool lets you target exactly which colors you want to adjust in the shadows, midtones, and highlights. Here’s how you use it:

Go to Image > Adjustments > Color Balance.

You'll see some sliders for adding or taking away colors like cyan, magenta, yellow, reds, greens, and blues. There are sliders for the shadows, midtones, and highlights separately.

Want to make the shadows bluer? Pull the blue slider left in the shadows section. Want to warm up the highlights a touch? Pull red to the right at the top.

Even if your photos are JPEGs instead of RAW files, you can still get some awesome color editing controls by using the Camera Raw filter. To use it:

Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. This opens up a panel with tons of sliders for fine-tuning your image.

In the Basic tab, you'll find all the usual options, such as exposure, contrast, highlights, and—most importantly—the white balance sliders.

In the HSL, you can individually adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness of every single color in the photo.

The Hue/Saturation tool lets you dial in the exact colors that you want to change within an image. To use it:

Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.

It'll have sliders to adjust the hue (color), saturation (vibrancy), and lightness of whatever color you select from the dropdown menu above.

From there, you can pick specific colors or color ranges, like reds, oranges, and yellows together. Then, just move the sliders to your liking.

The Selective Color tool is for when you really need to isolate a single color and tweak it. Here’s how you use it:

Go to Image > Adjustments > Selective Color.

It'll let you pick a color from the top menu.

Those sliders control the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks for the color you select, so you can precisely add or subtract ink amounts.

For example, to darken reds a bit, pull down the magenta slider. You can also boost yellow to make greens more vibrant.

The match color tool is handy if you want two photos to have a similar look and feel. Here’s how to use it:

Open both images you want to work with in Photoshop. Then select the one you want to adjust the colors on.

Then, go to Image > Adjustments > Match Color.

It will ask you to select the "source" image—the one whose color scheme you want to apply. Select it from the dropdown.

Then, Photoshop analyzes the colors and applies all the corrections needed to make the selected image match the source image's tones and mood.

How to Color Correct & Color Grade Photos in Photoshop

Trying to Boost Your E-Commerce Site's Speed and Performance? Optimize Your Images is a must-do! 

In e-commerce and other related fields, every millisecond counts. Optimizing image file sizes is crucial for faster websites and high-quality visuals. If your website loads slowly, its bounce rate will increase, and its conversion rate will decrease.

For decision-makers, this simple step enhances user experience, boosts conversions, and keeps you competitive. Start optimizing today and watch the impact on your bottom line.

When you need to resize an image, you want to do it without losing quality. Fortunately, there are many tools available that can help you achieve this.

Challenges of resizing images without losing quality

Resizing images can be tricky because reducing the size also means cutting down the number of pixels. The more you reduce the pixels, the more the quality can suffer. But don't worry there are smart ways to resize your images and keep them looking great.

Why Reducing Image File Sizes Matters for Online Shop

Large image files can cause several common issues like slow website loading times, increased storage needs, and longer sharing times, all of which can disrupt your workflow.

Optimizing photo file sizes is essential for faster ecommerce Websites, better user experience, and efficient storage management. Big, high-resolution images can slow down websites, increase transmission times, and take up unnecessary storage space.

By reducing image sizes without sacrificing quality, you can improve website performance, boost SEO, and enhance content delivery across platforms like social media and email.

A case study of e-commerce data from 20 websites and 27,000 landing pages showed that loading speed directly impacts conversions. Proper sizing, lazy loading, encoding images, and using recommended image formats are all essential for a high conversion rate.

However, high-quality visuals are still crucial for online stores. Clear, well-formatted images convey professionalism, while blurry or poorly sized images can make a store seem less trustworthy.

It’s important to use the right image size and quality to maintain trust and showcase products effectively. This is something web developers and clients often overlook, but it’s key to creating a successful online experience.

Marketplaces Where We Need to Reduce Image File Sizes

If you’re selling on platforms like Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, or Flipkart, optimizing your images is crucial. There are also some requirements for image upload on these sites, don’t forget to read them before uploading your product photos.

JPEG, JPEG XL, BMP, PNG, GIF, most TIFF, AVIF, HEIF, HEVC, iOS Burst Photos, iOS Live Photos, HEIC, ProRaw, JP2, WEBP, and iOS Live

On Amazon, optimizing your images is a must. Stick to JPEG, PNG, GIF, or TIFF formats, and aim for at least 1000 pixels on the longest side—2560 pixels for crystal-clear zoom. Resize strategically to keep your products shining.

For Walmart, where speed and quality are paramount, use JPEG, PNG, or GIF formats with a recommended 2000 x 2000 pixels. A quick resize and smart compression can make your images load faster and sell better. For details, you can read their “Photo Center Storage Policy” section by visiting.

eBay demands clarity and zoom-ready images. Stick to JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, or GIF formats, and aim for a minimum of 500 pixels—though 1600 x 1600 pixels is ideal for grabbing buyers’ attention.

Shopify’s dynamic themes and product galleries thrive on optimized images. Use JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, or WebP formats, and go for 2048 x 2048 pixels to ensure your site runs smoothly, especially on mobile.

WooCommerce sites need images that balance quality and speed. Stick to JPEG, PNG, GIF, or WebP formats, with 800 x 800 pixels or larger. Plugins like Smush or ShortPixel will keep your store fast and efficient.

1280 x 1280 (recommended), 2048 x 2048 (max)

BigCommerce requires consistency and speed, supporting JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF formats. Opt for 1280 x 1280 pixels, or up to 2048 x 2048 pixels, and use progressive JPEGs to enhance loading times on all devices.

But it’s not just e-commerce. Other marketplaces like ThemeForest for web development, Mailchimp for email marketing, Google Drive for cloud storage, and the Google Play Store for mobile apps and gaming all benefit from reduced image file sizes and they have their own rules about media files.

Best Practices Before Reducing Image File Sizes

Maintain Aspect Ratio: Keeping the correct proportions is important to avoid distorting the image.

Gradual Resizing: Resize photos gradually to avoid drastic changes in quality.

Start with High-Resolution Images: This ensures the best results after optimization.

Adjust Compression Settings: Find the right balance between quality and file size.

Use Plugins: On platforms like WordPress, plugins offer easy image optimization.

How to reduce file sizes by optimizing photos in E-Commerce

You have taken your product photo, then you find out that the product's actual color has not been captured. Instead, the photo looks dull and washed out or sometimes too vibrant in color. That's when Photo Color Correction comes into work.

No matter what products you sell online, the color correction technique ensures your photos look natural, as they should be.

Well, color correcting is all about helping you get the natural color of the image. It's all about adjusting, tweaking, and balancing the colors. So that your photos look exactly the way it's in the real world. Color correction is all about that. Natural, no enhanced colors.

Let's say you're selling the most amazing red velvet dress online. You've got the perfect shot to upload on your website. But there's an oops moment. Your red velvet cake picture looks a little in maroon shade. That's not a fault of yours. But how will your customers understand that?

That's what color correction does, to make your cupcake look like what it is in real life!

Imagine when a customer clicks on your product photos thinking of the jewelry gems as vibrant turquoise, but they are not actually. The color is actually royal blue. Not good!

Color correction ensures your customers see exactly what they are getting. If the jewelry color is royal blue, the image should show the actual color. There will be no surprises, just happy customers knowing they will get exactly what they see.

Trust is everything in the online world. When your potential customers see you're putting out consistent, high-quality images, they will feel confident buying from you. They will trust you because you're not giving them any unpleasant surprises. Rather you maintain a consistent look in your product photos. That makes your brand a trustworthy one. Your customers believe in you every time they buy from you.

Color correction is mostly done using advanced photo editing software. Here's how you can do that...

Photoshop is a globally recognized software that even a newbie heard of. Think of it as your digital toolbox. It’s packed with all the necessary tools to fix color mishaps.

Need to brighten up dull colors? Photoshop’s got the options. It lets you adjust the color with the necessary settings. You can tweak the hue and shade of the photos until you reach perfection.

Auto-color correction button gets you on the quick fix.

But when you need to color-correct complex images, you can use options like adjustment layers, layer masks, and the pen tool in Photoshop. Adjustment layers help you apply changes without altering the original.

Layer masks can adjust the color of a specific object in a photo. Suppose you want to brighten up a certain portion of your image; add a layer mask to the object you want to brighten up then tweak the color of it. Whole image's color will remain the same except the object you have brightened up.

The pen tool works for precision. It works for color correction of intricate detailing.

Adobe Photoshop has an object selection tool. Using that, you can perform challenging tasks like changing the color of a specific object in the photo. Suppose a model is rocking a green dress, but you must also show it in another color. With the object selection tool, you can do that.

Choose the object selection tool from the toolbar. Now click and drag over the object you want to select. Photoshop's AI can automatically detect the object. But if the selection is not perfect and you need more precision, you can switch to the lasso tool or quick selection tool.

Once the object is selected, go to the adjustment panel to adjust the hue slider to change the color. You can also use curves or levels to tweak the image brightness.

Is Color Grading the Same Thing as Color Correction?

No. Color Grading and Color Correction are not the same. They might sound like they belong to the same family. But they're totally different editing techniques.

Color correction is all about getting your photo's color to look the same. Here you need to make sure the reds are actually red, the blues are blue. Your product images just look like the real ones. It actually makes sure your photos look neat and tidy. No off-key hues are there.

But Color Grading, on the other hand, is where all the fun belongs. It's less about accuracy and more about the whole vibes. Want to give your photos a cool, moody vibe? You can achieve that through color grading. It's like putting your photos in different lights. It helps to tell a different story and set a different mood.

If your photos are for your website or catalog - then their accuracy is key. So color correction is your go-to thing. But if you want to set completely different aesthetics to your social media platforms, you can choose Color grading at that time.

Difference Between Photo Color Correction and Photo Retouch

 also seems like the same concept, but not. Photo retouch helps to smooth out the imperfections from the photo. It goes beyond color correction. It helps to remove any spots, smoothing out, and getting rid of distractions from the background. It makes sure the pixel comes out picture-perfect. Photo retouching is mainly used by the fashion industry, where you need the subject to look flawless. It gives your photo the necessary glow-ups.

What Tool Do You Need to Color Correct Photos

As we already mentioned above. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are your best tools here. These magic tools help you with the necessary digital paint brushes to give your photos the actual color.

How to Use Lightroom for Color Correction

Start by launching Lightroom software and head to the library. Click on the import button on the left to bring out the image you need to color correct.

After selecting and importing your image, head to the basic panel on the right side.

Use the temperature slider to set your image tone. It goes between cooler to warmer hues.

Under the presence section, you will get the saturation slider. It helps to boost or intensify your image color.

For more precise color correction go to HSL/Color/B&W panel. Here you can individually work on the hues, saturation, and luminance of the colors.

You can also experiment with the exposure, highlights, shadows, and clarity tools to enhance your photo.

Once you are satisfied with your overall work, go to export to save your final edited version.

How to Use Adobe Photoshop for Color Correction

Go to File > Open to get the photo you want to correct.

Navigate to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. Here you can do the quick fix by making the basic adjustments in the temperature, tint, and saturation.

Click Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, for advanced adjustments. Here you will find specific colors for your image.

Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter, to apply a photo filter. Here the color range is from warm tone to cool tone.

You can create an adjustment layer for non-destructive photo editing. Here you will get options like curves, layers, or hue/saturation for precise control in color correction.

For certain area color correction, choose the layer mask.

Once the desired color correction is done, go to File > Export.

Does Lighting Have Anything To Do With Color?

Different types of lighting can make the color of a product completely different. Warm lighting gives your photo a rich look. At the same time, cool lighting gives it a moody tone.

While doing color correction, remember to play with the lighting within your software tools. If you get the lighting right, your color correction will achieve originality.

Well, if you're working with photos for your E-commerce business, then the answer is You!

Running an online store means you need your product photos to look true to life. Otherwise, you risk tricking your customers with the wrong product colors.

Also, if you are a photographer, such a color correction is a necessity. You always need to fix the unwanted tints in your shots to make sure your photos look crisp.

Basically, for those who are involved in working with visuals and want their photos to look their best, color correction is their daily necessity.

Finally, color correction comes with many benefits. If you have the basic rights, you can do the color correction yourself. For the best results, you can always hire photo editing professionals to help you out.

What is Photo Color Correction and How Does it Affect Your Photos?

Businesses are always looking for ways to be more efficient and get their products and services to customers as quickly and cheaply as possible. Businesses have come a long way in just a few decades in speeding up the process of making things and services and getting them to customers.

In search of a business supplier, sometimes we end up working with a middleman without realizing it. Working with a middleman isn't necessarily bad, but it will surely cost you some more money and slow down your business process.

When you work with a middleman, you often end up paying higher prices due to their markup. By eliminating this intermediary, you can negotiate directly with vendors and potentially secure lower prices for your products or services. Additionally, working directly with vendors allows for greater control and flexibility in terms of customization, quality, and delivery timelines. Furthermore, establishing a direct relationship with vendors opens doors to improved communication and collaboration.

So, if you want to streamline your operations, cut costs, and forge stronger partnerships, it's time to consider cutting out the middleman and working directly with vendors. Let's explore how this approach can benefit your business.

The Role of Middlemen in Product Photo Editing

Middlemen serve as the crucial link between businesses that need photo editing services and the professional company who provide these services. They help businesses with basic image retouching to advanced CGI and 3D modeling.

They don't edit images themselves; they find an actual photo editing vendor to edit the images.

Suppose you own an e-commerce company and need to edit product photos. If you hire a middleman for photo editing, they will send your images to an actual photo editing vendor. After the vendor finishes editing, they will provide the images to the middleman, who will then send the images to you.

The middleman charges more than the photo editing vendor. Their profit margin lies in the difference between the price you pay and the vendor's service price.

Middlemen generally charge more than the actual cost.

There is a lack of transparency when working with the middlemen, as you are in the shadows. You often don't know the actual cost and turnover time of the specifics of the services you are taking from a middleman.

There are communication delays. Messages always pass through the middlemen to the actual vendor. That causes an extra layer between you and the vendor. That leads to slow responses and causes miscommunication.

The delivery process always involves an extra step. It often results in missing deadlines and delays in receiving photos.

As you are not in direct communication with the vendors, you have less direct oversight of the overall process. That way you have to compromise on quality, causing additional revisions.

The middleman's understanding of your project is not the same as yours. They might not align properly with you. That causes the final pictures to miss the mark.

Benefits of Working Directly with Photo Editing Vendors

Imagine you are in a market, bargaining directly with the artisans rather than the reseller. You get a better price, right? The same goes for photo editing. By directly working with vendors, you can save your pocket from the middleman. Bulk rates? Discounts? All would be yours...

Communication directly with photo editing vendors is clear, efficient, and direct. Vendors are proficient in photo editing, so they will understand your project. You know what you need, so you can explain it effectively and get feedback/ result immediately.

Better Control Over Quality and Customization

When you work directly with a professional photo editing vendor, you have more control over the quality. Vendors become your editing partners, tailoring their work to your preferences for product photos. Over time, a long-term relationship with a vendor leads to a better understanding of your needs, reducing communication hassles. This is not the case when dealing with a middleman. Middlemen may not consistently work with the same vendor because they are always searching for a less costly option. Their profit margin lies in the difference between the price you pay and the vendor's service price.

Turnaround time is faster with vendors because you are providing images and they are editing them instantly. There are no middle parties involved. Good photo editing vendors use a combination of AI and human touch for most tasks, which allows them to maintain faster turnaround times.

 Check out the vendor's portfolio and reviews. Make sure they're a good fit for your photo editing project before committing.

 Set up regular check-ins and review-approval sessions with them.

 Discuss pricing before starting the project. Mention the turnaround times and revision policies upfront to avoid any future surprises.

Treat your vendor as your partner. A good relationship always leads to better rates and more tailored solutions.

Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Well, working with vendors is not all easy and fine. It has its hiccups. Finding the right vendor sometimes feels like a big task. Every business relationship takes effort, and it's no different here. Here's how you can avoid potential challenges:

Simple. Research, research,and research. Contact a few vendors with small projects first to see who fits best with your project.

 Schedule regular updates to ensure everyone's on the same page. Timely communication can keep everything on track.

 Plan the projects with different time zones in mind. Setting deadlines and clear communication can avoid overlapping working hours. Coordinate the schedules beforehand to avoid the differences.

 You should have clear contracts that outline the scope of work. Use secure payment platforms to handle transactions with the vendors. Keep records of all financial exchanges.

 When partnering with a photo editing vendor, ask them about their file transfer method and evaluate whether it is secure.

 When you work with multiple vendors, you should keep track of all of it. Use project management tools to keep track of who's doing what and when. This will avoid overlapping and confusion.

Making the Switch to Working Directly with Vendors

Working directly with photo editing vendors isn't just a smart move. It will help you in your business a lot with efficiency, quality. You can operate your business with less cost, better communication, and higher quality with your photo editing vendor. Sure, it takes time and a little bit of effort to work directly with vendors, but the benefits you will get are definitely worth it.

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

By Isabella Garcia

Isabella Garcia