how to photograph a t-shirt

<p>I'm looking for creative ideas of how to photograph a special t-shirt that commemorates an event.</p>

<p>Background: I will be photographing a bike race. (I photograph bike races all the time.) This is a pretty special race. I want to capture some of the race's history and happen to have a historical t-shirt from this race back in 1988. It's old, little threadbare, and has a few holes. It's also bright pink. Very few people have this t-shirt, so it's rare and significant to cyclists, especially associated with this event.</p>

<p>I want to get a creative photo of this t-shirt. I could just lay it on a table and snap it, but I'm looking for some more creative ideas or some examples of good t-shirt photos. Maybe I get some side window lighting and shoot it on a hanger?</p>

<p>Should I hang it on a hanger, side light it? Should I lay it on a bed? Should I get a mannekin? Have somebody wear it? Find a location to shoot?</p>

<p>I have a studio lighting kit (strobes, softbox, modifiers, etc.) and decent equipment (D90 + 12-24 + 24-70 + 70-200 + 300 + 105 micro) so equipment isn't an issue. I'm also comfortable using LR. I'm mostly a sports photographer, but am comfortable with studio lighting as well.</p>

<p>If this works well, I have a collection of old t-shirts and would probably do a series. Sounds silly to photograph just a t-shirt, but cyclists would find this very interesting. Yeah, I know, we're a strange breed.</p>

I would contact an athletic/busty local female model from model mayhem to model the shirt(s). Put her on a bike,

outside with a bike stand(out of frame). With reflected sunlight. A fan for hair. Do you have a local bike club, bypass

MM. Bulletin board at your local bike stores.

I dont know what your target audience is.

 

Sounds possibly like a Komen(pink) run thing, to me. So it could be taken as completely appropriate, or crass

exploitation.

I don't know.

 

In any regard, I would definitely put it on a person.

<p>You could take one of these shirts to a custom frame shop that will display it appropriately and then photograph it.</p>

<p>I agree with Richard. Put someone in it.</p>

<p><center><img src="http://spirer.com/images/savage3.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /><br>

<em>Savage Inc Fightwear</em></center></p>

<p>1. Try to see if the printer who originally made the t-shirt has the artwork/silkscreen?<br>

2. Consider ironing it and SCANNING the graphic part. You can then edit it in Photoshop/LR and clean it up<br>

3. Nice photo Jeff! :)</p>

<p>+1 on the put someone in it .... t-shirts are kind of a blah garment, but with the right model they can look good - although it is usually the content, not the packaging that looks good</p>

<p>PS - nice picture Jeff</p>

<p>Bodies are better than hangers, and anything is better than the eBay-esque shirt-on-a-table. If you must hang it on something, use the front end of a bike as a hanger, with handle bars through the sleeves ... or something at least a bit cycle-ish. Got any local cycling legends, shop owners, or real characters that might make the shirt twice as interesting to your inside crowd, if you were to use him/her as a model?</p>

Yes I think it should be on a person. Racing position probably won't show the shirt well. Maybe side view of the bike,

person standing behind getting ready to mount? Or on bike, no hands, crossing the finish line in victory?

 

If you arent using a gorgeous model, i would experiment with desaturating all but the shirt or maybe posterizing all but

the shirt, depersonalizing it so the attention is on the shirt.

<p>Stick it in a glass case with locks, get two armed guards, one on each side, and make it look valuable.</p>

<p>Or lay it on a stretch of straight road, good views maybe downhill, stick two bike wheels above it for eyes, make the shirt the nose and create a smiley mouth from an inner tube or two, with you up a ladder for nice perspective.</p>

<p>Hang it off a 'coathanger' made from the handlebars of a (complete) bike, with the bike hanging vertical, bars down, and the shirt on the bars with head tube through shirt neck and bars popping out the armholes - have to take bars off, insert in shirt and reconnect bars. Could look really cool and very graphic if you get bike aligned perfectly.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Even better get it wet :: LOL</p>

<p>Normally, I would be opposed to any t-shirt photography that is exploitative or sexist, but since the ad below was the product of advertising in a "worker and peasant state", namely the German Democratic Republic, it must necessarily be immune to such charges.<br>

It does illustrate that shirt photography need not be boring.</p>

<p>Of course a manly chest (aka, "beefcake") could also be used, perhaps both together?</p><p><b>Image removed. Per the photo.net Terms of Use, do not post images that are not yours.</b></p>

<p>I think John Macpherson's suggestions are very good. I do agree, that putting the t-shirt on a person, preferably a pretty one, is always good. However, I don't think it is terribly creative.</p>

<p>On a person. Female or male. No face in photo. Easy. A holy shirt you say.</p>

<p>Allan, boring day here, gave it a try myself. So I would suggest just employ yourself as model, do a custom white balance with your indoor strobes, self timer, and see what gives. Babe models want serious money over here...and it IS the shirt,man...10K, 10 K I meant...</p><div></div>