Wine: Tesoro de Bullas -- TAKE 2

[Mike Buckley]

My first photo of this bottle of wine can be viewed here. However, I prefer the photo shown below...but only because of its composition, colors, depth of field and lighting of the background.

Setup
The tabletop and background are a single sheet of dark brown presentation paper used in the first photo. The fabric, also used in the first photo, is laced with shiny, metallic threads. A small continuous-light lamp high on the right side shining mostly toward the camera is allowing only a small amount of light to fall on the scene. A white reflector on the left side adds a reflection to that side of the bottle. A medium continuous-light lamp high above the scene and directly above the camera is pointed toward the ceiling, allowing just a small amount of light to brighten the label and the fabric in front of the bottle. Positioning the lamp in line with the camera also placed the bottle's shadow so it would be hidden by the bottle itself.

[bnnrcn]

This is certainly better than the first one Mike I love the color harmony in the image. Did you blur the fabric behind the bottle deliberately? Would it look distracting if you didn't blur?

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Binnur!

I shot the image at four different aperture settings and chose the one that had the smallest depth of field. It's not that the fabric in the rear was a distraction when it was sharply in focus as much as that the label on the wine bottle pops more when almost everything to its rear is blurred.

[Shadowman]

I like this one as well, although the first had a sort of Saharan mystique to it; this version is more ornamental.

[Wavelength]

My personal feeling is that the glitter of the clothe is not matching the subject; a plane black clothe would be better?

[bje07]

The bottle is better drawn. I like this lighting.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

Nandakumar: It's interesting that you feel the glitter of the fabric doesn't complement the subject, whereas I chose it because I like how it complements the foil and the label both in color and shine. Using a black fabric might work well also, but the photographic challenge would be to keep the fabric separate from the bottle.

[Wavelength]

i think i am influenced by the culture here; glittering clothe is mostly used by women; liquor is mostly a men's choice....and i also i imagined a grey black clothe in its place and i felt it to be more matching.... but as i told, it is purely personal

[Mike Buckley]

Fascinating comment about the cultural influence, Nandakumar! Glittering clothing is also worn only by women in my part of the world except for the occasional male celebrity or an unusual tuxedo worn by a man at a formal affair. However, wine is enjoyed equally by men and women here.

Over here, we refer to liquor as the choices of Bourbon, Rum, Whiskey, Vodka and the like that are distilled. Wine is considered a separate category because it is fermented. Beer is also considered separately because it is brewed, which ironically is a fermentation process.

[purplehaze]

Is it just me, or is the bottle a wee bit tilted? I think the fabric complements the bottle quite nicely.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Janis! You're right that the bottle is tilted slightly to the left. Now fixed in my master file.