Backlighting Beverages…

With summer here, cool beverages are a must. I have talked about my favorite beverages and treats to keep cool with in the summer, but today I will bring you another and show you how to shoot it!

Today’s subject is a cranberry ginger ale cocktail. I will tell you how to make it at the end of the post, first I want to talk about lighting. In past lighting posts, I have talked about how your light needs to have a direction to it. The examples I showed you, all had light coming from the left or the light. In today’s pictures, I am going to show you something a little bit different.

Lighting from behind. I like using back lighting on beverages because it illuminates and gives a glow to the liquid inside. In this first image, I have my subject on a table with a window behind it. This allows for the light to come through the drink and have a nice glow to it. I wanted there to be all white in the background so I added a diffusion panel.

Notice the nice highlights on top of the cocktail, mason jar lid, and ginger ale can. This is caused by the addition or the white diffusion panel. Reflective surfaces “see” and show what ever is in front of them, so allowing these surfaces to “see” white gives that nice highlight. (One day I will do a post on shooting with reflective surfaces and explain it further) Adding the diffusion material changed the quility of light and cut the intensity of the light so I will have to change my exposure. Notice with back lighting how the shadows are in front of the subject. I want to lower the contrast of these shadows so time to add a little fill light.

With some white foam board, I am able to add in some fill. Here are a few more examples of pictures shot using back lighting.The light source can be directly behind thh subject or it can be to the back right or back left. Experiment and see what you like best!

When back lighting, you will have to set your exposure for your subject. This will at times leave you with overexposed backgrounds. That is ok. You will also need to make sure you add fill back into the front using a reflector or white foam board. This will allow you to see more detail in the subject. If you have never tried back lighting before then give it a try! You may like it.

 

For you non photographers, here is the recipe for the beverage.

The drink is pretty simple. Cranberry infused vodka and ginger ale. Combine the two, shake, pour into a glass with ice and garnish with a lime. I will leave the decision of how much vodka to add up to you. Add as little or as much as you like. Personally, I only drink soda when there is alcohol in it. Because of this I hate buying a a 2 liter bottle when ever I want a mixed drink. It always goes flat before I can drink it. These 7.5 -8 oz mini cans are the perfect amount for cocktails! Just the right amount of soda! With the cans in individual portions,  I am never left with flat unused soda. Have a great Monday.