Wine photographed in a rare style

[Mike Buckley]

My shot list has included for a long time a photo of white wine photographed using the bright-line method of defining the edges of the wine glass. I felt it would make a very bold image and never understood why I had never seen a photo of white wine made in that style. As an example, I reviewed over 1000 photos of white wine yesterday and all but two of them were made using the dark-line method to define the edges of the glass. Of the two that were made using the bright-line method, only one of them was good.

So, I can now finally check this style of photo off my shot list.

You might be wondering why I am making such a big deal of this when I posted a photo of the white wine and Alka-Seltzer made in this style just a couple days ago. The difference between that photo and the photo shown below is that the wine below is completely still. It's the bubbles in the other photo that give the wine its bright color we associate with white wine. In fact, notice in the other photo the areas of wine where there are few bubbles: you have the feeling in those areas that you are looking through the wine to the black background behind it. If there had been no bubbles, the wine would have looked black. The wine doesn't look black in the photo shown below because I took an extra step to display the color of the wine.

Setup
A large continuous-light lamp is pointed toward the subject and camera, shining through a large circular diffuser around a background of black felt to define the edges of the glass with bright light. The tabletop is glossy black acrylic. As always with this method of lighting the subject, a black card with a rectangular hole is placed directly in front of the camera to eliminate flare. A second photo was made with white foam core placed behind the glass, A medium continuous-light lamp lit the board from above and behind the glass. The light reflects off the white board and lights the wine. The two photos were then merged.

[mknittle]

I like it Mike, interesting how the light effects the wine. O is it the other way around.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured. Is the convex shape of the wine what you were looking for?

[NorthernFocus]

Interesting how the lighting works out. Nicely done.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, guys!

Is the convex shape of the wine what you were looking for?

I assume you are referring to the grey line above the black line above the yellow tones of the wine. I don't think that line is the wine itself. Even so, considering that anyone might tend to think it looks odd for whatever reason, I touched that line up so it's far more flat now (far less curved upward). I replaced the image.

If you're referring to something else, please get back to me.

[Barbara Ponder]

Mike you never cease to amaze me. I never knew so much went into what you do!

[xpatUSA]

My old eyes cause the top of the glass to flip between Escher and reality . .

. . or your glass is bent

[rpcrowe]

You are "making" some very lovely images. I say making, not "taking" since you put so much effort and skill into these shots. Congratulations on a beautiful image...

[Double e]

Well done and an interesting setup. Thanks for the share and tips!

[Stagecoach]

Interesting one Mike. What does confuse me is the clearly horizontal evenly width'd top surface lines of the wine when we know the glass top was photographed at an angle. It's a sort of optical illusion.

[Jill]

Mike, I am always blown away by these shots of yours.
This one you have given a description on how you did it. Thanks so much.
I will be getting back to this and trying it out.
Love them, if I could do this I would consider I have made it as a photographer.
Thanks

[TonyW]

This is another nice clean image and thanks again for the description of the lighting, most illuminating if I am allowed the pun.

There are a couple of puzzles though. One is the top of the glass that Ted referred to. Another is why there is an asymmetry. The light on the right edge of the glass above the wine is different to that on the left. Also, the wine has a sort of cloudy look. That does not seem to be what the wine is really like.

[Rebel]

Interesting one Mike. What does confuse me is the clearly horizontal evenly width'd top surface lines of the wine when we know the glass top was photographed at an angle. It's a sort of optical illusion.

This is exactly what I was thinking!

Lovely shot.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone! Great comments!

About the "milky" look of the wine: Keep in mind that when the wine is in a totally black area except for one or two strategically aimed lights and perhaps a reflector or two such as in my makeshift studio, and whether it's red or white wine and whether the shape of the glass is defined by bright or dark lines, the look of the wine is not going to be the same as when it is on our dinner tables. I also think many of us including me are having a difficult time adjusting to the look of white wine being displayed in a glass with a dark background instead of the bright background that is normally photographed. I am going to try other lighting schemes to determine if I can come up with something more appealing, whether whatever I happen to produce is what our brain expects to see or not.

About the perspective of the rim of the glass: The camera is below the rim, not that that information is helpful to you. I gave up long ago on determining which part of the rim is near and which part is far. If wine was being poured into the glass that distinction would be obvious. Lacking that or anything that blocks the rear rim, I don't know that there is any way to determine which part of the rim is near or far.

About the perspective being displayed at the top of the glass but not the top of the wine: I actually thought I had set the camera to display the top of the wine. However, working in a dark area and being limited by the small size of the camera's LCD, I was fooled this time. I didn't realize it until I viewed the photo on my computer monitor. I didn't make the change because this style produces a bold, almost graphic look that I find appealing. So, I left it as is. I will try using a different perspective. If it makes a big difference to me, I'll work up the photo and display it for everyone to see.

About the asymmetry pertaining to two reflections on the right side and one on the left side: I like it. I'm reasonably confident that I know what caused it and that I could have easily eliminated if I had wanted to do so. I am going to make the pertinent change to the setup to determine if I'm right about that. I had hoped to do that yesterday but snow-shoveling duties relating to our biggest snow fall of the season usurped my time in my makeshift studio.

[Mike Buckley]

I never knew so much went into what you do!

Thanks, Barbara! Naturally, I wouldn't do this stuff if I didn't enjoy the process every bit as much as the results. I even enjoy the process when I don't enjoy the results. That's partly because I always learn at at least something every time I set up a photo.

Just in case you didn't see my follow-up post about that in the other thread, refer to post #12 in that thread. Don't bother taking the time to read it because it will probably be really boring to you. Instead, just notice the number of steps used including mistakes and corrections to mistakes to make the photo in that thread.

[Wavelength]

Excellent

[bnnrcn]

Hi Mike. At first I felt strange about horizontal even top surface of the wine too. But after seeing your answer explaining that the camera was below the rim, I don't feel strange any more. The lower rim is the one closer to the BG. Your different shooting angle makes the image like a puzzle . I like it very much

[Donald]

As per usual, I'm late coming to the party.

That is a belter, we we say. The phrase that came in to my mind was 'A classical beauty'.

All the accompanying explanation will be helpful to people maybe just at the start of the learning curve - You too can produce great images, but they don't just happen. You need skill, knowledge and vision all brought together to be able to produce something like this. But Mike, like others, has had to learn it, so you can too.

[Mike Buckley]

Mike, like others, has had to learn it, so you can too.

To clarify that, if I can do it, anyone can do it!

[Shadowman]

Thanks, guys!



I assume you are referring to the grey line above the black line above the yellow tones of the wine. I don't think that line is the wine itself. Even so, considering that anyone might tend to think it looks odd for whatever reason, I touched that line up so it's far more flat now (far less curved upward). I replaced the image.

If you're referring to something else, please get back to me.

To me it's not odd, I usually work with liquids in beakers and the convex/concave shape is called meniscus and is caused by surface tension of the liquid.