Luxury Drinks Photography

Luxury Drinks Photography

I cannot think of too many creative areas that are as visually emotive as luxury drinks photography. There is something incredibly attractive and desirable about a bottle or a glass of liquid. A well-executed drinks image can have massive allure. I think it is to do with the rich and abundant colours and tonal depths that connects you with the product.

I have been lucky enough to have worked on many great drink brands, some small, some huge! Guinness, Highland Park Whisky, Maltsmiths, Lipton Tea, Bombay Sapphire and Lucozade to name a few. As I have hinted at already, it’s the colour and tonal range in a high-quality drink photograph that makes it so desirable.

Drinks in a Glass

When dealing with the drink in a glass, it’s a must to ensure the right styled vessel is chosen and that a decent discussion is had around how the brand likes to see their product. They will know! Most brands will have an established form of presentation. As a drinks photographer I must pay special attention to these details. There may be a brand ambassador who can help with understanding this, or there could be brand guidelines and a tool kit to familiarise myself with.

Natural is Best

Shooting drinks, whether in the studio or on location, stills or film just feels more authentic to the consumer if we relax and keep things natural looking. I prefer to use real ice when shooting. The ice reacts with the liquid to create subtle swirls, and also will do realistic things like rise up, float and create condensation around contact points with the glass. Ice can kill the energy of a fizzy drink, so the need to plan and work fast in set is the normal approach.

Drinks in Bottles

Showing the true nature of a liquid product in a bottle shows my true strengths in controlling light around a product. I do not like the typically flat liquid lighting that can exist in some bottle photography. Even if the use of the image is for a web page that predominately sells, I still want to see colour and light movement. I am always keen to maximise the interest of light as it travels through a bottle. I did this with great effect with Highland Park Whisky. I set the angle and mood of the product photography and ensured that the whisky showed all the glorious deep browns and reds as well as the higher key yellows. My style has been used ever since by the brand, which makes me sure that my approach to lighting has brought out the best qualities in that drink.

Working with a Drink Mixologist or Stylist

You wouldn’t get an electrician to do a plumbing job (or at least I hope not!) With luxury drinks photography I have always felt it important to discuss with the client the need for a drink stylist or mixologist. It is very important to get the right person in for a shoot. The terms are similar however there is a clear distinction between the two roles in my mind. A drink stylist will be super clever and find amazing and sometimes outrageous ways of dealing with the liquid and set to ensure we can execute the creative idea. Most bigger brands have their own favourites. A drink stylist is a must for anything really technical. A mixologist is also highly trained with drinks however will be more adapt at creating original ideas on how a drink could be made up or could look like. They will also be highly tuned in understanding how best to present the drink to camera for maximum effect. Again, quite often brands have their own mixologist for shoots and events.

We have our very own Tom Woodward who is highly experienced as both a mixologist and as a stylist. His technical skills match his lust for the creative, and in set he is invaluable.

Luxury Drinks Photography…Are We Right For You?

With my associates help, we can craft and explore how a drink looks in any situation, whether as stills or involving film. My Producer and Creative Director both have a wealth of experience working with Diageo and Chivas Regal so between all of us we can really nail any brief. See the gallery for more examples of our work.

To discuss this further please Contact me.

Cheers! 🥂