Uisge beatha (Water of Life)

[billtils]

To be consumed in moderation (frequently).








The whisky is from the Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay. It is one of a series based on their philosophy that whiskies are individual, reflecting not only the distiller, but also the land, the barley and the water from which it is made. In this particular case, the emphasis is on the barley, which was sourced from Rockside farm on the island.

They make nice gin too ("The Botanist").


C&C welcome as always.

[ST1]

Nice work and a nice Laddie. I must have a trip back to Islay I've not been this year.
Have you visited the distillery?


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[billtils]

Nice work and a nice Laddie. I must have a trip back to Islay I've not been this year.
Have you visited the distillery?


Sent from somewhere in Gods County using Tapatalk

Thanks Peter. Yes I've had the pleasure of a visit - in fact the bottle in the image was purchased there

[ST1]

Thanks Peter. Yes I've had the pleasure of a visit - in fact the bottle in the image was purchased there

The first time I went to Islay was on business in 2002. Later that year I went back with the family for a weeks holiday, during which we were taken round the distillery by Jim McEwan. At that time it had only just been brought out of mothballs. I bought a bottle of malt that had been produced for one of the upmarket magazines Homes and Garden or something of that ilk. That bottle used single malt that the owners had bought back from one of the mainland distillers as they hadn't had time to create their new product. I still have that bottle along with one of their first bottling of the new product (2005) which they called PC5, after a mix of Port Charlotte and the year.


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[Mike Buckley]

That works nicely, Bill.

Consider making the tabletop a little more obvious. It's easier to see at the larger size on my calibrated monitor but only on the left side. That gives the impression that the glass and stopper are floating when I think the image would be better if the tabletop would immediately and obviously provide a sense of grounding.

Also try straightening the image, as the glass seems tilted a little to the left.

[billtils]

That works nicely, Bill.

Consider making the tabletop a little more obvious. It's easier to see at the larger size on my calibrated monitor but only on the left side. That gives the impression that the glass and stopper are floating when I think the image would be better if the tabletop would immediately and obviously provide a sense of grounding.

Also try straightening the image, as the glass seems tilted a little to the left.

Thanks Mike. I hadn't noticed the glass tilt -that's an easy fix. The advice on the table top is very valid too - I'm not sure if I can "rescue" it or if I'll need to reshoot. If the latter it may take a bit longer as I'm currently planning an entirely different table-top composition; it will eventually appear here (assuming it works of course!).

[bnnrcn]

Nice colors and composition Bill

[Dave Humphries]

The advice on the table top is very valid too - I'm not sure if I can "rescue" it or if I'll need to reshoot. If the latter it may take a bit longer as ...

At the risk of my intent in suggesting this being misunderstood ...

You could always randomly 'clone copy' a few dust specks from the left side over to the right to give the impression of a surface there.

And I did actually check my screen was clean before I posted this

Dave

[billtils]

You could always randomly 'clone copy' a few dust specks from the left side over to the right to give the impression of a surface there.
Dave

... and to think the time I spent removing "all" the dust specs ...

[Shadowman]

Nicely composed.

[PRSearls]

I really like your composition and lighting. They make the bottle and glass very appealing.

[billtils]

Thanks to all for the excellent feedback.

I have looked at the set of "whisky still lifes" in my catalog and think that this one is better:



It's a different whisky, but the distillery is only a short hop away, on the isle of Jura. One of the things that I liked in the original is the simplicity of the bottle label (or strictly, printing) and I did a mono conversion using the Silhouette option in Silver Efex Pro.

[Mike Buckley]

Your first image works best for me followed by your second image and I'll explain why.

In your second image, the tabletop and its separation from the background definitely ground the glass, which is what you were trying to accomplish. However, notice that it doesn't ground the stopper; the stopper appears to be floating. That's mostly because, unlike in the area of the glass, there are no large shadow areas in the tabletop itself and because the stopper isn't casting a shadow on the tabletop. It's also partly because the stopper itself is flatly lit, which produces no shadow tones that would have otherwise defined its shape. Notice, as an example, the very nice shadow tones in the bottle's grey labels that so nicely define the bottle's shape.

In your third image, you've essentially created an effect that is very similar to using a setup that outlines the bottle, glass and liquid in bright tones. The problem with your conversion, though, is that the edges of the bottle are defined in dark tones. Those dark tones against the dark background created loss of separation of the bottle from the background. I really like the definition of the stopper's shape, made possible by the shadow tones, but it still looks like it's floating relative to the tabletop. That's because there are no bright specks in the tabletop in that area of the image that help define the tabletop.

You have such a knack for this stuff and seem to enjoy doing it, so I recommend that you read any version of Light: Science and Magic. It provides concise explanations complemented by highly effective illustrations and example photos that will almost certainly take your tabletop photography to the next level.

[billtils]

Thanks Mike. Yes, I do enjoy doing it, but have some way to go before earning the right to "knack for this stuff" - next step must be "Light: Science and Magic".

You correctly picked out the cork. There was no cork in the set-up when the Jura shot was taken and the image is a composite of (bottle + glass) with the cork from the original Uisge beatha image in this thread.

You raise an interesting point re the B&W image. I set out to push it to the abstract rather than realistic side and was aware of the areas where edges are not defined. However, the point is valid and I'll do another version that deals with it when I revisit the cork .

[Mike Buckley]

Yes, I do enjoy doing it, but have some way to go before earning the right to "knack for this stuff"

If you would see my awful first tries at photographing glass and liquid before learning about Light: Science & Magic, you would realize that you, unlike me, really do have an intuitive knack for this stuff.

[Mike Buckley]

After giving your thoughts about the abstract qualities of the last image consideration, I've reviewed it a few times and each time I come away with the same thought: Almost all of the image is highly realistic, so the little part that takes on the abstract characteristics appears to be out of context. Consider making most if not all of the image in a more abstract style (not that I have any idea how to do that).

[billtils]

(not that I have any idea how to do that).

That makes two of us

[Wavelength]

I liked the first one by all means

[mugge]

I prefer the first version. Mike, I think, is correct in that it needs 'grounding' or framework to really buzz.
Cheers Ole

[IzzieK]

When I first saw this my only comment is a WOW! I still think I like the first version better. Along that line, let me ask?
1) who is holding the bottle?
2) Did you use a remote?
3) Were you continuously pouring and shooting? If so, did it take long to click that shot before the glass filled to the brim?
4) What happened to the alcohol after the shot or is this only coloured water?
I know too many questions and you can ignore the last one too. I am more curious about how this shot happened...