For this weeks product photograph I really wanted to take another photograph of a bottle. I like taking photos of glass, it always has its challenges and the results can be very dramatic and/or beautiful. I picked up a four pack of Izze Sparkling Blackberry water at the store and then selected the two best bottles.
The lighting and composition was intended to be a “beauty” shot of the bottle. I forgot to take a set up photograph before breaking down the set, but the lighting was not too complex, although it did take a while to get the lights exactly where I wanted them to be.
I started by surrounding the bottle on three sides with diffusion panels. I used a 20 degree grid on the light behind the bottle and barn door modifiers on the two sides to create a nice gradient on the edges of the bottle. The light on the front label was a reflector with a grid and polarizing gel. Combining the gel on the light and the polarizing filter on my camera I was able to cross polarize the light on the front to remove any ugly glare.
Once I was happy with the light I prepped the “hero” bottle by adding the fake ice with a small paintbrush. Then I sprayed the bottle with a mixture of glycerin and water to act as condensation.
It took a few hours to photograph and a few more to retouch but overall I think I was able to produce a nice image.