Have a drink on me!

[LenDog]

I'm working on the ongoing dPS Food Photography assignment (Beverages) and need your help!

This photo has been straightened and cropped, and the WB decreased about 500 degrees.

I tried to select an unusual beverage for the assignment, though my fave is and always will be a cold Beer (see the avatar).

My questions are:

What do you think of the straighten, crop and composition? I had a tough time with these, lens distortion on a closely framed tall subject made "straight" difficult. My first time working this close using a portrait frame. Looks straight to me - but does it look straight to you and do the crop and composition fit well?

Your opinions on the WB? and your thoughts on the foreground and background selections?

Do the light reflections in the background add to or distract from the subject?

How about the shot glass being slightly out of frame - enhancing or distracting?

There are several versions on my flickr stream, please click on the link below, view the others, and give me your opinions and comaprisons on those as well.

Although "winning" is always a goal, I really just want to put my best possible photo up for the assignment. Usually a result of learning..

Thanks in advance!



Camera: Sony A330
Lens: Tamron 17-50mm
Focal Length: 17mm
Shutter Speed: 1/500 Sec
Aperture: F/2.8
ISO: 100

[Sterling]

I think the bottle needs more light on it - more sparkle in the glass. I don't mind the reflections on the wall. But I'm not a big fan of blurred foreground objects. It also looks a little awkward having just the edge and the bottom of the glass cropped - it looks more like a mistake than a conscious cropping here.

I think the bottle looks best in your shot #5 with it in front of the curtained window.

[Dami]

I like the perspective you have. Of the images shown on Flickr, I prefer this one. I agree with Sterling regarding the underexposure and the cropped off glass. To me, the glass is an imporant part of the image and feels like an afterthought.

I don't know what editing software you're using, but I would straighten the bottle just a little more to the right. I use Photoshop and using the ruler tool (hidden inside the eyedropper group), I drew a straight line down the center of the bottle, from neck to bottom, then selected the Image > Rotate Canvas > Arbitrary. That seems to get it a little straighter, to my eye. Just my 2¢ worth.

Good luck!

[LenDog]

Thanks!

Looks like I need the full glass in the comp and some better light on the bottle. I may try to re-shoot this with more natural light (outdoors) this weekend if I can get the weather.

[freezeframe03]

There isn't much of anything I can add to what's already mentioned. I too like the lighting of the bottle in your shot #5 but I don't like the window light split by the curtain. I think a consistant background will work best. Also I agree to put some of the beverage in the glass about 1/3 full.

Let me know when you get this right...I'll come over and clean up for you.

[LenDog]

Originally Posted by freezeframe03

There isn't much of anything I can add to what's already mentioned. I too like the lighting of the bottle in your shot #5 but I don't like the window light split by the curtain. I think a consistant background will work best. Also I agree to put some of the beverage in the glass about 1/3 full.

Let me know when you get this right...I'll come over and clean up for you.

Ha! LOL, I needed some humour today - thanks! I agree with the window split problem. The glass was empty because that was a "test" shot, just happened to be a "little" decent.

I'm hoping for some sunshine, something we haven't had much of in a looong while, and plan to reshoot outdoors (with a consistent background) if possible. Posting this for critique has been a learning experience.

Also, and I shouldn't admit this, but..... you may not have noticed that the bottle is actually unopened and full. There's a "substitute" in the shot glass. This particular Genever is so good I can't bring myself to open it....and I have an Oude (distilled old style) that is even better. Waiting on special occasions.

[freezeframe03]

Originally Posted by LenDog

Also, and I shouldn't admit this, but..... you may not have noticed that the bottle is actually unopened and full. There's a "substitute" in the shot glass. This particular Genever is so good I can't bring myself to open it....and I have an Oude (distilled old style) that is even better. Waiting on special occasions.

I did notice the bottle was full. I figured you were workin' with 2 bottles...1 for photographing and 1 for drinking...I mean, for the rest of the shot...I mean... You're not gonna be calling me for clean up, are you.

[LenDog]

Originally Posted by freezeframe03

I did notice the bottle was full. I figured you were workin' with 2 bottles...1 for photographing and 1 for drinking...I mean, for the rest of the shot...I mean... You're not gonna be calling me for clean up, are you.

Think of the 11 hour one-way flight I'm saving you from!