Product Photography - Black Clothing (pic inside)

[Ballistics]

DSC_8307 by Compressed Memories, on Flickr

I am having a very hard time photographing a black kimono... This is what I have come up. If I brighten the image any more, it looks terrible.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Ballistics]

blk by Compressed Memories, on Flickr

Here is the photo brightened.

 

[gsgary]

just looks like 2 black towels in the first shot, would it look better if someone was wearing it and shot in a studio

 

[Ballistics]

just looks like 2 black towels

What do you propose I do?

 

[gsgary]

just looks like 2 black towels

What do you propose I do?

I edited the post above, could you get hold of a manikin to borrow

 

[enzodm]

Suggestion: the book "Light: Science and magic". There is also a chapter on extremes.
However, playing with curves you may obtain this (I'll remove soon the picture):

 

[Big Mike]

You may have to overexpose pure blacks, just like you may have to underexpose pure whites, in order to get them to show detail in a photo.

Also, to show texture (which is essentially what you're trying to do here), you can use a couple different lighting techniques. The first is to take advantage of direct reflection, if there is any. So put a light source inside the 'family of angles' and see if the subject exhibits any directly reflection.
The other technique is to use extreme side lighting to bring out texture.

 

[Ballistics]

blk by Compressed Memories, on Flickr

I played with the curves here, thanks for that tip. The one thing that I am trying prevent is to make it look charcoal instead of black.
I'm bouncing flash off the wall here too btw. I have no other lighting equpment.

 

[jaomul]

Do the clothes have to be on a pure white background. I have seen black items with light blue backgrounds when other colours have been on white. I wondered if it was due to exposing the photo or getting the best out of the black, maybe not but maybe it might help

 

[Ballistics]

Do the clothes have to be on a pure white background. I have seen black items with light blue backgrounds when other colours have been on white. I wondered if it was due to exposing the photo or getting the best out of the black, maybe not but maybe it might help

The background itself is photoshopped the original picture is on a white sheet but it's not blown out or anything. .

 

[shootermcgavin]

I personally like the OP photo the most, the other posts are starting to inch towards grey or already there. Is there white threading going through it? I can't imagine there is but maybe.

 

[Ballistics]

I personally like the OP photo the most, the other posts are starting to inch towards grey or already there. Is there white threading going through it? I can't imagine there is but maybe.

You mean like contrast stitching? No. It's jet black.

 

[shootermcgavin]

I guess I don't really see what is wrong with the first one, what about it do you want to get better? Unless you put it on Chuck Norris I don't think much photo editing is going to influence sales.

 

[jaomul]

Do the clothes have to be on a pure white background. I have seen black items with light blue backgrounds when other colours have been on white. I wondered if it was due to exposing the photo or getting the best out of the black, maybe not but maybe it might help

The background itself is photoshopped the original picture is on a white sheet but it's not blown out or anything. .

Ya I don't think it's blown out, but sometimes the sorrounding area emphasizes or takes from something, maybe a light colour background might make the black clothing stand out the way you need, just a thought

 

[Denon]

I think the first photo is just fine. In the others, the color look a little faded.

Just for curiosity, is it a BJJ gi?