Home › Forums › Photography › Stuffed Tights Mannequin
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Retro Treasures WV.
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02/20/2019 at 5:40 pm #57399
Don’t you just hate it when somebody who isn’t in the business comes up with an idea that hadn’t even occurred to you? 😉
I was muttering about what a pain it is to photograph pants/jeans when my daughter asked
“Why not make a mannequin dummy from old material, such as a pair of tights stuffed full of… w/e. Something to give the trousers shape and hidden by the trousers themselves so no bad photos”Now WHY didn’t I think of that?
An old pair of tights would be easy enough to shove down a pair of jeans, and whip out again when I’m done. I could do front and back photos by merely flipping them over. I’d have to cut the feet off so that they don’t stick out. Or perhaps keep the feet and adjust the stuffing so that I can use the feet as length for longer inseams.
Anyone have any input on this? Have you tried something similar? What would be a good stuffing? Peanuts? Paper?
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02/20/2019 at 7:07 pm #57402
I have thought about doing this with 2 pool noodles for the legs. With the noodles you may have to wrap the thigh to fill out. Not sure what to do with the rear end/ front. Maybe a small pillow?
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02/20/2019 at 10:04 pm #57411
Amatino,
Have you seen this video?I think someone posted it here a long time ago. He uses the stiffer packing paper plus tons of time fine-tuning, but maybe it would work to just use the packing paper without too much fiddling.
I’m a no frills plain jane flat-layer myself, but my photos are far from great.
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02/21/2019 at 8:35 am #57420
I’ve recently been using a male bottom half mannequin for mens pants. I have a female bottom half as well.
Keep an eye out for department stores going out of business in your area. They sell all their mannequins. I’ve acquired quite a collection of mannequins that I need to thin out actually.
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02/21/2019 at 11:41 am #57437
@bcfol440 Pool noodles! Genius! They’re easy to cut. Make a stack of noodles taped together for the “butt” and then cut them down at an angle to narrow into the thighs, then cut off a couple altogether to narrow into knees and calves. And so easy to manipulate!
@sonia yes, I did. I tried it once but my photography time is already way too long and it was so fiddly, not to mention needing a box of paper in my photo area – one more item to fall over. Gave it up.@retro I thought that a mannequin would be unwieldy to manipulate. I have a standing mannequin I use for shirts, jackets, etc., and she has an offset option so that I can put pants on her too, but it’s always a wrestling match. That’s why the tights seemed like such a good idea – flexible and lightweight. And why I like bcfol440’s idea of pool noodles even more. With a long piece of wire threaded through the noodle (like an opened wire hanger, for example) I can even pose the legs.
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05/23/2019 at 7:40 am #62337
It’s actually not too bad. The male mannequin is hollow plastic so very light. I just prop it up against the back of my photo area or lay it down flat. I don’t bother with the stand. Pants go on and off pretty easy.
I use clothes pins for larger sizes to make them fit the mannequin.
As for a quick way to photo pants, don’t worry about stuffing the legs. Just fashion a form for the butt/crotch area. It can be as simple as a grocery bag stuffed full of more grocery bags. My wife has done the in the past for the “butt shot” of jeans. It works very well.
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02/21/2019 at 1:06 pm #57441
I like the pool noodle idea…it got me thinking of some ideas…
I think the hollow pool noodles (that have about a 1″ diameter hole through the middle) would be the best. What I’m thinking is you can put in some rigid wire or metal strips to make the legs bend how you want and hold the shape.
I’m also thinking the 1″ hole would be good to mount with. You can build a small platform with two dowels or poles sticking up, and stick each noodle leg on a pole to make it stand up.
Mannequins are super plentiful lately where I live – every major store that had them is dead (Zellers, Target, Sears all closed in Canada the last several years – 1000’s of stores with maybe 100 mannequin type items from those 3 chains alone plus all the smaller chains with mannequins closing – a real glut in the market!). It seems every thrift has a few for sale – but with pants you really need to get the right size and “butt” to make them look good…I like the pool noodle idea vs. having a bunch of lower torsos hanging around…
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05/22/2019 at 8:18 pm #62315
Amatino,
Your daughter has the right idea! I like that idea. I won’t use it-but only because I’m lazy! I have a mannequin, but I don’t use it. I just do the flat fold and call it a day! I mean, think about it, when you are at the store not “all” jeans/pants are on the mannequin. That being said, I think people get the idea without having to see them on the mannequin. Tops/dresses to me, are different. Hats too. I like using a hat head for photographing hats, or a mannequin head. Thanks for sharing your daughters great idea though. I do like it!
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