Master the art of wine photography with these simple steps

If you’ve ever photographed wine bottles, you’ll know that it’s a little bit more involved than you might imagine at first. Getting the perfect shot with beautiful graduated highlights and a perfectly lit label takes both practice and a little bit of know-how.

In this video, Karl Taylor shows a live shoot and offers incredibly detailed information and valuable insights into capturing the perfect wine bottle shot. Here’s a breakdown of his process, from setting up the lighting to refining the final image.

Lighting and equipment setup

Using the correct tools and setup is important. Karl uses a 100mm lens on a medium format body (equivalent to 80mm on a full-frame 35mm camera) and a combination of softboxes, including a large 120×180 softbox and a pair of 30×120 softboxes.

Karl uses Broncolor lights and softboxes. However, Karl emphasizes that similar results can be achieved with other brands or even speedlights, provided they are paired with softboxes. For the base, he uses black glossy acrylic to create a reflective surface, adding an elegant touch to the composition.

Creating the rim light

A rim light is essential for defining the shape of the wine bottle. Karl achieves this by using a cutout of black card that matches the bottle’s silhouette in a slightly larger size. The cutout is positioned directly behind the bottle, and a softbox is placed behind to illuminate the edges.

To change the size and hardness of the rim light on the bottle, Karl moves the softbox back and then further feathers the light by placing a large scrim or diffusion material between the softbox and the bottle. Moving the softbox closer results in a harder, more defined edge, while increasing the distance creates a softer, more feathered look.

Managing flare and enhancing highlights

Shooting directly into the light can cause flare, which Karl reduces and controls by using black flags in front of the bottle to block unwanted reflections. This allows for a clean, controlled look, enabling brighter highlights without interference. Adjusting the height and position of the flags makes the light even around the bottle, especially along the edges.

Illuminating the label

The next step focuses on lighting the label. Karl uses a Picolite with a focusing attachment to direct a precise beam of light onto the label. However, you can use any kind of snoot, even a DIY one. He softens the light by defocusing the attachment, achieving a natural result. This method makes the label stand out without overpowering the overall composition.

Adding a wine glass

For compositions featuring a wine glass alongside the bottle, Karl explains the importance of shooting the glass separately. This prevents the glass from blocking light on the bottle or interfering with the rim light. Using similar techniques, a cutout card is crafted to control the light on the wine glass, ensuring a consistent rim light effect.

Colouring the liquid

To add a realistic touch to the wine glass, Karl uses water mixed with red food colouring. Wine itself often appears too dark on camera, so the food colouring allows more colour to be seen. An additional softbox is placed to one side behind the scrim to illuminate the liquid, creating a glowing effect. In post-processing, Karl adjusts the colour’s hue, saturation, and luminance to achieve the desired richness and depth.

Compositing the final image

The final shot is a composite of the glass and bottle images. Karl combines the perfectly lit bottle with the glass, seamlessly blending the rim light and liquid effects. In post-production, black backgrounds are extended for a clean look.

Karl Taylor makes it all look very easy, and following his approach is very straight forward. However, this simplicity hides years of experimenting with different lighting and set ups. Karl definitely knows his stuff, and this is a great starting point for learning how to light and shoot a basic wine bottle and glass image.

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