A FRIENDLY GUIDE FROM HEADING

How to Shoot Your Shots

A few simple tips for taking photos and videos of your Heading pieces. No special equipment, no photography degree. Just your phone and a couple of things worth knowing!

Part One

Photos

Your phone is more than good enough. The gap between a forgettable photo and a really nice one is usually just a few seconds of thought before you tap the button.
Lighting

Natural light does most of the work

Stand near a window, or face one so the light comes from the front or side. Overhead fluorescents and harsh midday sun both flatten everything out. Overcast days are ideal — the light is even and colors come through accurately. Outside, open shade works well: under a tree, alongside a building.
The Design

Let people actually see the pattern

These designs started as vintage book illustrations. There's loads of detail in them. Smooth the fabric enough that the print reads clearly — not ironed-flat, just not wadded up. Let the scarf drape where the design catches some light. The artwork carries the weight here; it just needs room.
Background

Check what's behind you

A blank wall. A park bench. Your kitchen table. Anything simple! Just take a quick look at what's in the background and scoot anything distracting out of the frame.
Composition

Closer than you think

Most photos are taken from too far away. Step in until you can see the fabric texture and the detail in the illustration. A close-up of a scarf knotted at your collar tends to be a better photo than a full-body shot across the room.
Movement

Don't worry about posing

The photos we like best are usually mid-walk, mid-laugh, mid-something. They feel like moments, and that's the whole reason they work. If standing still and smiling at a camera makes you feel weird, have someone take the picture while you're doing something else entirely.

What works

  • Natural light — window or open shade
  • Pattern smoothed out and readable
  • Simple, clean backgrounds
  • Close-ups showing fabric detail
  • Candid moments, natural movement
  • Portrait mode for a soft background

What doesn't

  • Flash — washes everything out
  • Digital zoom (walk closer instead)
  • Cluttered or busy backgrounds
  • Heavy filters that shift the design's colors
  • Bunched-up fabric where you can't read the print
  • Stiff, overly staged poses

One phone trick worth knowing

Tap on the scarf or bandana on your screen before you take the shot. Your phone adjusts the exposure for whatever you tap, and that can be the difference between washed-out colors and accurate ones! If you have portrait mode, give it a try — the background blur really helps the design pop.

What we mean

These are some of our favorite customer photos! They're not styled or retouched — they're just well-lit, close enough, with the pattern front and center.
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6

Same product, different approach

Small changes in light and distance make a real difference. Here's what we mean.
Like this
Natural light
Not this
Overhead fluorescent
Like this
Up close
Not this
Too far away
Part Two

Video

A good clip can be ten seconds long. You tying a bandana. A slow pan across a scarf on a table. That's a complete piece of content. Here's what makes those ten seconds work.

Steady camera, always

This matters more than anything. Lean your phone against something sturdy. Rest your elbows on a surface. If you're panning, go slowly and in one direction. Smooth beats energetic.

Show yourself wearing it

Tying a bandana. Draping a scarf over your shoulders. Clipping on a ring. A few seconds of someone actually using the thing says more than a still image — how it moves, how big it is, how it looks on a real person.

Keep it short

Five to fifteen seconds. A quick styling clip. A slow-motion shot of fabric catching wind. One good moment is the whole video. You don't need a beginning, middle, and end.

Shoot vertical

If it's going on Instagram or TikTok, vertical. If you're not sure, vertical is still the safe choice. Keep the design roughly centered.

Sound is optional

Most short videos get watched on mute. If there's nice ambient noise — birds, a coffee shop, music — that's a bonus. But the visual is what matters.

Try the flat-lay

Lay the piece flat on a clean surface — a wood table, a white sheet, a bench. Hold your phone above it with your elbows resting on the surface for stability, and slowly move across the design. Simple to shoot, and it shows the artwork the way it was meant to be seen.

Videos we love

Nothing elaborate. Just the product in real life, shot with a steady hand and decent light.
Video 1
Flat-lay pan across the design
Video 2
Tying a bandana, window light
Video 3
Styling a scarf two ways
Video 4
Walking outdoors, candid
Part Three

The short version

Something to glance at right before you shoot.

☀️

Light

Natural only. Window or open shade.

🎯

Focus

Tap the fabric on screen before shooting.

🔍

Frame

Get close. Show the design. Simple background.

🚶

Style

Candid over posed. Movement over standing still.

📱

Video

Steady. Vertical. 5–15 seconds.

🚫

Avoid

No flash. No heavy filters. No digital zoom.