Shooting products on white is a request that comes up all the time. It's funny how it seems like one of the more basic shoots but can be so complicated once you choose to refine it. As with many things, there are rules to ensure you get the cleanest photo possible.
Space is an important factor when it comes to shooting products and people on white. The distance between the background and subject is important to preserve edges. Lighting the background is also important where shooting on a white backdrop is not enough. The power setting you choose for the background should not be too much. When lighting the background, I choose a power setting that blows out the background just around the subject. If the other areas are not completely white, I will push them up in photoshop. Another important factor is to have crisp edges to make selections much easier in photoshop. To achieve this, I use f/9 or above if possible.
Image review on the back of your camera is good, but there are settings to help you achieve the wanted effect. I recommend turning on highlight warning. The areas that are completely blown out will flash black and white. This will let you know if your exposure settings are correct. The last thing you want is your subject to be overexposed. Apart from losing detail, it would certainly make your life harder during the editing process.
Enough of the technical side. Since this was a rain jacket with a hydrophobic coating, why not make it wet. With the help of Ashley, we soaked the jacket realistically from top to bottom. The shoulders carrying the majority of the water. The speckled water effect helps make for a more interesting shot. These photos were eventually used in social media and the product page. When posted on Instagram, it's rare that your audience will linger on an image for an extended time. Getting the point across quickly will help them understand the product quickly as they scroll.
Learning how to shoot photos on white took years of trial and error. Once you figure it out, you will have a mental checklist so you can get it right everytime. Once set up is understood, you can get on with making the most of the shoot creatively.