Wine Bottle Displayed in a Sexy High-heel Shoe

[Mike Buckley]

Brunello di Montalcino is a particular clone of the Sangiovese grape grown in Tuscany, Italy. Brunellos in my mind are typically the finest expression of the grape and this wine is unusual because it is a riserva. Relatively few Brunellos are riservas. When I realized colors on the label would go well with the color of the shoe, I couldn't resist the urge to set up a shoot.

Setup
The background is white translucent acrylic and the tabletop is black glossy opaque acrylic.

Capture 1 is of the main label. It was sheer dumb luck that the fluorescent light in the ceiling and to the right of the scene lit the label almost exactly as I envisioned. I only needed to add two reflectors on the left to create direct reflections in the gold lettering on that side of the label to match the direct reflections on the rest of the label created by the ceiling light.

Capture 2 is of the background and every area of the tabletop except the reflection of the toe of the shoe. The background is lit from behind by a speedlight fitted with a gel and a snoot. The light shining through the background also lit the inside of the spiked heel. A speedlight on the left fitted with a gel of the same color is attached to a strip soft box positioned at a 45-degree angle to a diffusion panel to create the gradient on the left side of the heel. You may have to display the image at its largest size in the Lytebox to see that gradient.

Capture 3 is of the reflection of the toe of the shoe. It is lit by a small continuous-light lamp positioned above and to the right of the shoe.

Capture 4 is of the foil at the top of the bottle and of all of the shoe except the heel. They are lit by the fluorescent light in the ceiling and to the right of the scene and by a reflector on the left.

Capture 5 is of the part of the bottle not covered by the label or foil. The gradient on the right side was created by the speedlight fitted with a gel of the same color attached to a strip soft box positioned on the right side at a 45-degree angle to a diffusion panel.

The five captures were merged during post-processing to create the final image.

[Donald]

Not really much more you can say than that this is photography of the absolute highest standards and quality - aesthetically and technically.

[flashback]

The question that pops into my mind...how did you just 'happen' to have that high heel available?

[IzzieK]

The shot is perfect...the process is lengthy and informative.

Jack...look at Amazon. I have the red wine in my dining room for display of my favourite fruity Cooper Hawk bottle of wine. I will not do justice of photographing it the way Mike did his so I won't...

[bnnrcn]

Great presentation and lovely colors Mike Because the shoe has an open end my eyes are looking for the toes with red nail polish although wine bottles have no toes

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

The shoes are sold at my favorite wine store in several colors. This color was on sale at half off the normal price so I bought it to photograph it.

[ST1]

Great image and narrative Mike, well done. I hope the wine tastes as good as you have made it look.

[Rob Ekins]

Lovely Mike, well done!

[george013]

Thanks, everyone!

The shoes are sold at my favorite wine store in several colors. This color was on sale at half off the normal price so I bought it to photograph it.

By pair or by peace?

I mentioned before. I've problems with that horizontal line and the reflection on the table suggesting to me that the heel is standing on the edge of 2 planes. In contrast with the feet, where there is a vissible difference between subject and reflection, the heel seems to be one with the reflection. Combined with the horizontal line this gives me an unnatural feeling.

George

[chauncey]

Mike, I consider this a superlative example of set-up, lighting, and PP technique...
would serve us well to take it to the bank.

To paraphrase some advice from times past, "if you want a pretty picture, use a pretty subject".
IMHO, you might have selected a more attractive shoe and bottle of wine.

[Mike Buckley]

Continued thanks, everyone!

By pair or by peace?

Funny you should ask. The clerk at the wine store told me that some people actually argue with her that the displayed price should be for two shoes because shoes are always sold by the pair in shoe stores.

[george013]

Continued thanks, everyone!



Funny you should ask. The clerk at the wine store told me that some people actually argue with her that the displayed price should be for two shoes because shoes are always sold by the pair in shoe stores.

So they are sold by piece? No wonder half price.

What about my comments on your picture? You have a lot of pictures on your site without that line and a distinguished separation of object and reflection.

George

[Mike Buckley]

George,

I can't see what you describe and, thus, cannot correct it if indeed there is anything to correct. Even if I could see what you describe, I'm not sure I have the post-processing skills to adequately twist the image to correct it. So, I'm not concerned, as this is good as I can get it.

I go to great pain to capture the image dead level using the camera's electronic level. I also go to great pain to ensure that the horizon line of the tabletop is in the same horizontal plane as the camera. I do that using a particular technique with Live View magnifying the image at its maximum display size. I know of nothing else to do.

[george013]

George,

I can't see what you describe and, thus, cannot correct it if indeed there is anything to correct. Even if I could see what you describe, I'm not sure I have the post-processing skills to adequately twist the image to correct it. So, I'm not concerned, as this is good as I can get it.

I go to great pain to capture the image dead level using the camera's electronic level. I also go to great pain to ensure that the horizon line of the tabletop is in the same horizontal plane as the camera. I do that using a particular technique with Live View magnifying the image at its maximum display size. I know of nothing else to do.

I don't think it's a matter of pp but of setup. I'm just an amateur photographer, I can't give you advise. In the front of the shoe there is a clear changeover between object and reflection. I miss that in the heel. On my monitor that's a black line from the shoe to the bottom of the image.
Maybe we have different monitors.

George

[Mike Buckley]

I still don't see what you describe.

However, I had to make some very fine adjustments during post-processing and one of them was at the toe of the shoe that you mention. That's because my version of Photoshop Elements, which is very old, does not automatically maintain accurate registration when the area of an image being moved to another image file is small. That happened several times when making this photo, so manual adjustments were required and I may not have gotten everything from top to bottom and right to left perfectly aligned.

[Rita]

This is top notch....very well done and pleasing to look at.

[Donald]

I don't think it's a matter of pp but of setup. I'm just an amateur photographer, I can't give you advise. In the front of the shoe there is a clear changeover between object and reflection. I miss that in the heel. On my monitor that's a black line from the shoe to the bottom of the image.
Maybe we have different monitors.

George

I think I know what you mean, George. Obviously the heel is a different colour than the 'body' of the show and that, along with the lighting, means that the point at which the heel sits on the surface of the tabletop (and is then the reflection) is not as distinct as the the bottom of the main structure of the shoe. Yes?

For me there is a subtle, but distinct separation indicated by, at the left edge as we look at it, it narrows in. And with the reflection of that it forms a slight curved indentation. Conversely, at the bottom of the heel on the right (as we look at it), there is a small bit that slightly sticks out. Those two together are enough to give me the indication as to where the heel meet the tabletop and, thus, where the reflection begins.

If you are viewing on a smaller monitor, that subtlety might not be visible.

[Shadowman]

Nicely positioned and captured.

[John 2]

That's different Mike and technically excellent. I can see what George means but as Donald has pointed out, there is other evidence that indicates where the heel meets the table and it soon becomes apparent if it doesn't hit you right off. Good work as always.

[george013]

I think I know what you mean, George. Obviously the heel is a different colour than the 'body' of the show and that, along with the lighting, means that the point at which the heel sits on the surface of the tabletop (and is then the reflection) is not as distinct as the the bottom of the main structure of the shoe. Yes?

For me there is a subtle, but distinct separation indicated by, at the left edge as we look at it, it narrows in. And with the reflection of that it forms a slight curved indentation. Conversely, at the bottom of the heel on the right (as we look at it), there is a small bit that slightly sticks out. Those two together are enough to give me the indication as to where the heel meet the tabletop and, thus, where the reflection begins.

If you are viewing on a smaller monitor, that subtlety might not be visible.

That's exactly what I mean. Thanks. And it would have less impact when the image wasn't divided horizontally in 2 parts.

George