Photographing Beer?

[magnj]

Like a few others said, light is your friend. I bought 2 CFL's and 2 work lamps, a white tri-fold poster board and shoot with my Pentax *IST DL and get stuff like this...still perfecting it but I'm happy with it for the cost.

 

[Pabst Blue Robot]

Beer porn in 5......4.....3...2..1.

 

[Pabst Blue Robot]

A few DIY light box shots.

 

[celestialparsnip]

The plate of glass under the subject is a nice trick. I used it with my sheety cardboard lightbox for this picture:

The white balance is off, but I quite liked the warm tones of the picture anyway. I have the RAW file, and played about with the WB, but came back to this setting. There were some unwanted reflections (and shadows) from the window behind me, but it came out well enough.

 

[Catt22]

 

[user 22118]

One more thing to always think about in my opinion is that often time you forget what the subject of the picture is. Look at all of your vacation shots with waterfalls and mountains behind the people and do you notice that the background is in perfect balance, but the people are just little ants in the forground. Take pictures closer than you think in order to make them stand out more.

For example, my iPhone can't take a good close up shot, so all of my beer pictures with that camera come out looking like this.

It makes for a good shot that I can then throw online quickly, but not good if I am going to frame it.

When I want to frame it I get as close as possible while still being able to identify the subject in order to create a picture that makes you want to dive in.

If you keep this in mind you will be able to have enjoyable vacation shots and also have some fun with your camera. AND never center your subject. Always just a touch off center.

 

[user 22118]

Hey PBR, if you toss a little light onto the front of your glasses in the lightbox it will help tremendously to focus them away from the backdrop a little bit more. Otherwise I like the little DIY lightbox

 

[Ragutis]

I was able to work a beer into a food illustration I shot the other day. The background was so dark the beer was disappearing so I had a waitress stir the beer with a straw to get some bubbles going.

 

[KingBrianI]

Nice work!