For Brian (Mito): Spanish wine in a Spanish porron

[Mike Buckley]

I just love the shape of a porron (also called a porró or porrón). I had never heard of one until I saw them being sold recently at a butcher shop, as unlikely as that is. A porron, which is basically a glass version of a bota bag, is used by the wine drinker to pour into one's mouth by holding it above the head. The higher the porron is successfully held, the more the flair. I am completely uncoordinated, so I will not be trying that.

The wine is a 2009 Bodegas Briego, Ribera del Duero, Crianza made of tempranillo and the porron is handblown. A little more than half of the bottle of wine is in the porron, which is apparently made at this size to hold an entire bottle.

[Wavelength]

This is nice indeed

[bnnrcn]

Tempranillo is just delicious,if I had that porron,I would certainly give it a go I like your photo Mike

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to Nandakumar and Binnur!

[deetheturk]

Lovely image Mike!

[NorthernFocus]

Well that's interesting. Probably not intended to be used while wearing a white shirt...

[Donald]

Beautiful, Mike.

The cork just finishes it off wonderfully by adding in a different tone and texture.

Superb image.

[Brownbear]

Truly exquisite! And another one of my favourite images of yours. (And yes, that is a beautifully shaped bottle)

I adore the shadows and light around the edges of the vessel (and the surface of the wine), and the cork is a wonderful finishing touch.

No reflection this time around? (not needed)

If I may...

I was reading the other day that Ansel Adams like to add a vignette or burn the edges of an image in order to keep the viewers eye from straying... It looks to me like you have added a slight vignette and if yes, is this why? ie; Do you agree?

How do you decide just how dark the shadow of the container should be, perhaps just true to form to reflect the dark tones of the wine?

Any particular reason for the right to left orientation instead of vice versa?

Thank you.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, everyone!

It looks to me like you have added a slight vignette and if yes, is this why?

When I add a vignette especially in a landscape scene, it's usually one that isn't noticed unless it is removed, sort of like food seasoning that you don't notice unless the dish is served without it. In this image, the vignette is strong enough that it is immediately noticeable.

Perhaps of interest only to a photographer, the vignette in one of the top corners was created by the lighting and the other one was created during post-processing. I would be willing to bet that nobody would assuredly know which corner was changed during post-processing.

Perhaps it's just a matter of semantics, but I don't think of the vignette as keeping the viewer's eye from straying as much as making sure that the brighter parts are allowed to lead the viewer's eye to where I want it to go.

How do you decide just how dark the shadow of the container should be, perhaps just true to form to reflect the dark tones of the wine?

It wasn't so much the tone of that shadow that concerned me as was its softness, so I used a relatively large light source.

It was also important to me that the neck and spout would cast at least a slight shadow. Ironically, if the porron had been made of really high quality, perfectly clear glass, far less shadow would have been created. The glass happens to be very green, so I decided to make that color and the darker shadow that it produces attractive aspects of the image.

The lamp that created the shadow also lit the tabletop. While dealing with that lamp, the tone and texture of the brighter areas of the tabletop were far more important to me than the tone of the shadow. I wanted a very slight texture to be displayed in the tabletop, not one that you would necessarily notice but one that you would miss if it was removed (note that recurring theme). I also wanted the tabletop to be slightly darker than the background but not so much darker that it would create a strong horizon. Once those two objectives were achieved, I was happy to let the tone of the shadow fall pretty much as it may.

Speaking of shadows, the shadow on the cork was created by a separate light source, a speed light. I wanted that shadow's tone to be dark enough to indicate the shape of the cork but light enough to reveal at least a little bit of detail in the surface of the cork, which is admittedly difficult to see in the small size displayed here.

Any particular reason for the right to left orientation instead of vice versa?

I gave no conscious thought to that. It might simply be that I'm right-handed and lifted the porron's handle with that hand, which naturally pointed the spout to the left. If the glass had not produced attractive dark tones in this position, I suppose I would have tried changing the direction of the spout. I liked the tones that were produced so much in this orientation that I didn't even try the other orientation.

[Brownbear]

Thank you for sharing. A sneak peek into the back of your mind and your thought process behind this image is indeed very informative.

Your attention to every detail is enlightening. Once again... Beautiful image!

Thank you, everyone!



When I add a vignette especially in a landscape scene, it's usually one that isn't noticed unless it is removed, sort of like food seasoning that you don't notice unless the dish is served without it. In this image, the vignette is strong enough that it is immediately noticeable.

Perhaps of interest only to a photographer, the vignette in one of the top corners was created by the lighting and the other one was created during post-processing. I would be willing to bet that nobody would assuredly know which corner was changed during post-processing.

Perhaps it's just a matter of semantics, but I don't think of the vignette as keeping the viewer's eye from straying as much as making sure that the brighter parts are allowed to lead the viewer's eye to where I want it to go.



It wasn't so much the tone of that shadow that concerned me as was its softness, so I used a relatively large light source.

It was also important to me that the neck and spout would cast at least a slight shadow. Ironically, if the porron had been made of really high quality, perfectly clear glass, far less shadow would have been created. The glass happens to be very green, so I decided to make that color and the darker shadow that it produces attractive aspects of the image.

The lamp that created the shadow also lit the tabletop. While dealing with that lamp, the tone and texture of the brighter areas of the tabletop were far more important to me than the tone of the shadow. I wanted a very slight texture to be displayed in the tabletop, not one that you would necessarily notice but one that you would miss if it was removed (note that recurring theme). I also wanted the tabletop to be slightly darker than the background but not so much darker that it would create a strong horizon. Once those two objectives were achieved, I was happy to let the tone of the shadow fall pretty much as it may.

Speaking of shadows, the shadow on the cork was created by a separate light source, a speed light. I wanted that shadow's tone to be dark enough to indicate the shape of the cork but light enough to reveal at least a little bit of detail in the surface of the cork, which is admittedly difficult to see in the small size displayed here.



I gave no conscious thought to that. It might simply be that I'm right-handed and lifted the porron's handle with that hand, which naturally pointed the spout to the left. If the glass had not produced attractive dark tones in this position, I suppose I would have tried changing the direction of the spout. I liked the tones that were produced so much in this orientation that I didn't even try the other orientation.

[Loose Canon]

Interesting piece Mike and well shot as usual. Great call on lighting the cork.

Can't say I've ever seen one of these before. It would be dribble-ware for me trying to swill something out of that!

What color is the liquid?

[Shadowman]

Nice angle, are you shooting from below the table? Would be interesting to see the shot positioned so that the bottom of the cork and the top of the wine were both visible.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Terry!

The tabletop is the highly textured watercolor paper we discussed. It's so textured that I processed that part of the image with no sharpening including no in-camera sharpening. I think I'm going to really enjoy using it.

The wine is perhaps on the dark side of the typical color of red wine.

[Mike Buckley]

Nice angle, are you shooting from below the table?

No. It's an opaque tabletop that prohibits that possibility.

Would be interesting to see the shot positioned so that the bottom of the cork and the top of the wine were both visible.

I'm confused. Both are easily visible in this composition. Try running that by me again, please.

[Mike Buckley]

My wife just had a good laugh at me. Note that she was laughing at me, not with me.

I put some water in the porron, stood in the kitchen where it doesn't matter if the floor gets wet, put on a thick, terrycloth bathrobe because of its absorption properties and had a go at it. I'm glad nobody was recording the scene.