Wine -- tipping the cap

[Mike Buckley]

Setup
The background is translucent white acrylic positioned to fill the frame, no more and no less. First capture: A medium continuous-light lamp fitted with a blue gel behind the background is shining toward the subjects and the camera. Second capture: A small continuous-light lamp fitted with a diffuser is lighting the cap from above and the front right to define both the overall shape and the "hills and valleys" of the cap. Two reflectors on the left brightened that side of the cap. The two images were merged.

[purplehaze]

Cocky, Mike! This is probably not the first time you have been asked, but what do you use for continuous lights?

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Janis!

I use almost exclusively compact fluorescent lights for continuous lights. That's because their upfront cost is relatively inexpensive, they last a long time, they're cool to the touch and can be used with several sizes of reflectors. I have one halogen lamp, which is extremely hot, that I use only for very special situations mostly because it has a set of barn doors.

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Mike. I am glad to be learning more about flash photography, but it is very hit and miss when it comes to positioning, and sometimes I would just like to see the effect of my setup before I shoot rather than after...

[Mike Buckley]

The other alternative is to use strobes, as they have modeling lights (continuous lights used when lighting the scene). Strobes are a lot more expensive than compact fluorescent lamps.

By the way, I should have mentioned that my compact fluorescent bulbs are rated 5500K.

[xpatUSA]

The other alternative is to use strobes, as they have modeling lights (continuous lights used when lighting the scene). Strobes are a lot more expensive than compact fluorescent lamps.

By the way, I should have mentioned that my compact fluorescent bulbs are rated 5500K.

I used to use CFL's and changed some time ago to more powerful PAR38 LED flood lights and separate home-made diffusers.

Started with 5000K but they were a bit on the blue side (the dreaded blue spike) so now I use 3500K combined with custom WB for that rare important work.

They get a bit warm but nowhere near halogen.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Kaye Leggett]

Another beautifully executed image, although I'm not sure I like the blue - maybe because it is not a colour I associate with wine ? And thank you for again sharing your set up.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

I'm not sure I like the blue - maybe because it is not a colour I associate with wine ?

Good to know, as I wanted the image to have a somewhat surrealistic look.

[Wavelength]

Such a beautiful image.....

[bnnrcn]

Very nice as usual Mike. IMO that red cap would also look nice if the rest of the shot was in BnW

[Manfred M]

Another nice image with those clear wine bottles. The red cap adds a touch of humour to the shot; the tipsy bottle?

[wilgk]

The crop at the shoulder of the bottles, is absolutely perfect & for me gives them the personification I admire very much.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, all!

Comments that are so much up my alley...

IMO that red cap would also look nice if the rest of the shot was in BnW

I initially planned the shot as a color version using tones of white as a background and tones of grey and black to define the shape of the bottles. Considering that so many people would have mistaken it for an image post-processed as selective color, I decided to make the current photo to ensure that everyone knew the entire image was in color. Doing so also made the image a bit surrealistic, which appeals to me.

Interestingly, the two photos in my previous thread displaying clear wine bottles were desaturated to black-and-white only because one small area of one of the bottles has a brown stain that I didn't notice until the setup was complete. If that stain had not been present, I would have presented the images in color and nobody would have known they weren't converted or desaturated.

The red cap adds a touch of humour to the shot; the tipsy bottle?

It's good to learn that you see humor in it because that's definitely part of my intention. Even so, I hadn't had of the idea myself that the humor could imply a tipsy bottle. I really enjoy seeing an interpretation I hadn't thought of that makes sense to me once someone mentions it.

the personification I admire very much.

That's also great to know. I just love the personification of inanimate objects, which explains why personification makes its way into a number of my studio shots.

[KimC]

I really enjoy this Mike - it has some sass!

[IzzieK]

+1 to Kaye's comments...

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks, everyone!

Good to know, as I wanted the image to have a somewhat surrealistic look.

If you looking for a surrealistic look, I think you can push the boundaries a bit more into to the unbelievable and humour direction

[Rebel]

I love this image Mike! If I owned a bar, it would be hanging on the wall

[John 2]

Good as always Mike. Great choice of colour, well presented and the Maurice Chevalier tilt of the cap (nice detail) has a sort of "devil may care" look about it.

[bnnrcn]

After reading your explanation I understand why you have decided to use blue. But I still think that your first plan for the photo would also create a beautiful image even if people think that it is selective coloring or not. Lighting from behind the BG makes your photos really different .Although I don't shoot indoors I learn a lot from your shots. I remember you complaining about yourself because of not being very good at setting up your scenes, but as far as I can see from your shots you are creating wonders