Wine -- a great gift from great friends

[Mike Buckley]

Great friends of mine came to dinner three months ago and brought two bottles of wine as a gift. I immediately recognized that their Chardonnay was a high-end wine, so we drank it that night instead of the Chardonnay I had planned. They also brought the Shiraz shown in the photo below, but we didn't drink it that night because nothing on the menu would have paired well with it. I didn't recognize anything on the front label that night. It wasn't until the next day when I read the rear label that I realized the wine is made by Molly Dooker, a winery that specializes in high-end wine. So, I just had to make a photo of the wine.

I think I can buy more of the same wine. If so, I'll invite them and some mutual friends over for dinner so we can enjoy the wine together.

Setup
The wine label is made in black-and-white and the foil and cap are a charcoal tone. So, I chose a complementary black fabric with white specks as the tabletop. The wine brand is "Blue Eyed Boy," so I got cute and used blue fabric as the background. Though I intended to make the photo in color, the monochrome image is far better (don't even bother asking to see the color version).

First capture: A medium continuous-light lamp placed immediately above the camera lit the bottle straight on to eliminate displaying the bottle's shadow. A reflector placed on the right side added the reflection to that side of the bottle to help define its shape and add a little interest.

Second capture: The lamp was moved to the left to position the direct reflection on the left side of the foil and screw cap and to add shape to the bottle by making the left side of the label brighter than the right side.

The label, foil and cap in the second photo were moved to the first photo.

[flashback]

Okay first, I like wine (mostly red but occasionally a good white). In fact I've only met one bottle I didn't like and sent it back; it. just. tasted. horrible. Otherwise I can drink wine while chewing gum, if that makes you cringe then I consider myself as having been successful. So...on to your image. Yeah....not so much.

Sorry Mike but, out of all the images of bottles and glasses, intact and shattered to one degree or another, this one just -to me- failed. It just looks thrown together. Maybe it's me, likely some/many will think it's great but...I think you missed the mark on this one. Not technically, mind you. Just compositionally. It reminds me of a bottle sitting on a stump in front of an old curtain.

[Mike Buckley]

It reminds me of a bottle sitting on a stump in front of an old curtain.

I have absolutely no problem with that. Indeed, I wish I had a stump and an old curtain to use for my wine photos.

[Shadowman]

Nice effect, it has the appearance of quite a few bottles I've gazed at after a night of partying.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Mike I really like way you used the blue fabric as a BG. IMO you should use it in your other shots too . The bottle has a very nice label. I think I would be happier to see a closer shot of the bottle to appreciate the label better. But this would mean a different composition

[Wavelength]

Excellent

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, everyone!

Binnur: The blue fabric that you like is a shirt. If we ever meet, I would look forward to that occasion so much that I would be sure to wear that shirt just for you.

[bnnrcn]

The shirt doesn't enough, please also bring the wine

Thank you, everyone!

Binnur: The blue fabric that you like is a shirt. If we ever meet, I would look forward to that occasion so much that I would be sure to wear that shirt just for you.

[Mike Buckley]

Good point!