Product Photography for Shoes, Boots, Sandals?

Hello!

 

I am in need of a bit of help. I run an <a href=""http://shopnastygal.com>online boutique</a> specializing in

ladies vintage clothing and accessories. We have to shoot one of each item, since each is one of a kind, and it

requires a lot of work.

 

I am interested in shooting specifically sandals, boots, and handbags on a tabletop (see the vintage eyewear

section) but don't know where to start. How does a site like urbanoutfitters.com shoot sandals without having

them on models' feet?

<a

href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp;jsessionid=933323AD96262FB17A195829D677DD03.app11-node2?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&id=15183585&parentid=W_SHOES_SANDALS&sortProperties=+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=448&navAction=poppushpush&color=">See

this example</a>

 

How is it possible to support the straps of the sandal without showing the support? Is there fishing wire strung

for each shoe, or something else? I like to move quickly, so taking 10-15 minutes to set up each shot is not an

option.

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Sophia

sophia@shopnastygal.com

Usually armature wire is taped behind the sandal straps so that the straps can hold a desired position.

 

10-15 minutes per shot IS moving VERY quickly for those kinds of shots.

If I were shooting something that I planned to sell in quantity, the time required wouldn't matter so much. Because I have to shoot dozens of these pieces a week, and the shots are used to sell only one item, cutting down on the time involved in shooting the stuff is really important. Armature wire? Is this something to be found at a hardware store?

 

Thanks!!

Armature wire is used in clay sculpture and can be found in various thicknesses at any good art supply store.You might find wire that is stiff enough and malleable enough at the hardware or auto parts store but real armature wire comes in many guages and is very easy to work with.

 

Of course cutting down on the time involved in shooting these sandals is important, but if you have to "fly" the sandal straps, as in the samples that you've provided, then time is what it takes. So these sandal photos might take more time than other more straight forward shots. Some things are slow and some things are fast.

What about stuffing, say, a woven leather oxford shoe that doesn't have straps, but is droopy by nature. Clear plastic? It might be seen through the shoe....

 

Thank you! I might just take the photos droopy after all...

Try googling the phrase "mannequin foot." You'll be surprised what you come up with. Various sizes, postures, colors... with and without parted toes for thong sandals, etc. There's an entire industry set up to display footwear, so I'm sure somebody out there's run into the same problem, which means somebody else has marketed a solution you'll like better than showing a flat, dead-looking sandal.