You may not have heard of British commercial photographer David Lund, but chances are you’ve probably seen his work. David’s worked with brands including Rolls Royce, Baileys, Revlon, and Kellogg’s to produce some of the fantastic photography and video we see in advertisements every day.
David specialises in liquid & beverage photography and in this video he’s going to tell you why, as well as throwing in a few tips on how to work with liquids in front of the camera.
Interesting are some of the methods used to simulate certain liquids, photographing something other than the actual product itself, to give a more pleasing image for the camera.
In this image, for example, that isn’t really Shell Helix Ultra, but water mixed with a lot of food colouring, and a “special secret thickening agent”.
Milk is also often substituted with a paint, water & thickening agent mix, and Bacardi switched out for flat cola.
David also talks about lighting techniques for different liquids depending on viscosity, texture and translucency in order to give a look that would more accurately match what one might observe in real life. Many liquids appear very differently to the camera when hit with flash, and you have to get things just right.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how you might be able to spice up your water droplet photography or get a little more adventurous with liquids, then this video and David’s work are a good place to start getting some tips and inspiration.
You can find out more about David on his website, follow his work on Behance, or reach out to him through Twitter.
Has this inspired you to give liquid photography a try? Let us know in the comments, and show us some of your liquid photographs.
