WHY DO WE INCLUDE A PREPARATION DAY BEFORE A BOTTLE PHOTOSHOOT?
This is something that is common when creating bottle images, but maybe it’s not fully understood why for professional images it’s not a good idea to just place the bottle on set and photograph it without preparing it first. If you would like to learn more, read on.
Bottle preparation is something that is absolutely crucial to any beverage shoot that includes bottles. If we don’t prepare the bottle the correct way, then it is not going to appear as it should in the final image. When preparing any bottle for a photoshoot there are several things that we always need to consider. The first step is to clean the bottle of any dust, fingerprints, and smudges, etc. That’s the easy part. The next is to deal with the labels, which can be a little trickier.
LABEL PREPARATION
Almost always, bottles are received with their labels already adhered. Unfortunately, due to them being attached using an automated process they are not always straight. The ideal for us is for a supplier to send us a set of new labels as that allows us to remove the original labels and attach the new ones, ensuring they are perfectly straight. That’s something that is easier to do when the labels have a self-adhesive backing, but unfortunately, some labels have to be glued, which as expected, can get a little messy to deal with.
Another reason for removing the original labels is that they are never in the correct place, there’s almost always a glass seam running right through the label rather than beside it, and that is never good for the finished image. If we have to shoot the bottle with the original label in place then we always end up searching through a lot of bottles in the hope of finding one that does not have the label covering a seam.
The upside when dealing with labels, if you can call it that, is that the rear label is never needed. And why would it? It’s not as if we are going to be photographing the rear of the bottle. But it’s not just that. We often backlight the bottles, especially beer bottles, and a rear label will just block that light from shining through the bottle and will create a dark area on the front, and that’s not what we want, so those labels always get removed and never replaced. That’s a trick of the trade!
LACQUER PREPARATION
The next phase in the bottle preparation process is applying the lacquer, which like paint comes in two types, matt, and gloss. We will always use gloss, and depending on the particular image we are creating, we may use matt as well. Matt is good for spraying on the rear of the bottle as it flattens the light that comes through it, creating a very soft glow of light on the bottle. Gloss, as predicted, will keep the bottle glossy and so is ideal for spraying on the front of the bottle. This reduces the amount of reflection off the front of the bottle, and reduces all those highlights that we photographers fight with. But at the same time, it maintains the glass look, the bottle looks as it should, and for a photographer, that is a wonderful thing.
Both matt and gloss lacquer require three coats, with sufficient drying time between each. It will then need to cure overnight. This is an important step and the key to us needing to plan an extra day into our shoot process. Yes, it is possible to fast-track it and put the bottle on the set just a few hours later, but for the very best results when creating the final image, it’s really wise to be patient and let it cure overnight.
Now I can almost hear you asking, why bother to spray the bottle at all? I’ve already mentioned the fact that it helps knock down the highlights that are going to create challenges during the shoot. But the other reason is that, and this particularly applies to any beverage normally drunk cold, is that it helps us give the bottle a realistic cold look. We are going to be applying a glucose-water mixture to give it that condensation effect, as well as applying a slush that takes the image to the next level, giving it that iced appearance. If we apply those straight onto an unprepared bottle then gravity will take over, both the water-glucose mixture and the slush will head south and slide straight off the bottle. But the presence of the lacquer creates just enough texture to give the spray and slush something to grip onto, keeping it somewhat in place. That won’t last for long, but it will last long enough to style the bottle to our liking and create the desired beverage image. It also provides us the time to apply the slush, think make-believe ice, just where we need it, rather than just placing it on the bottle and hoping it stays in place.
Plus there is one further benefit of the lacquer that may not be immediately evident. Many labels are paper, and as such will absorb any moisture that is present in the glycerin or slush, causing the label to become wrinkled and peel away from the glass, which will completely ruin the shot. To make the shot realistic we will need to place some glycerin and ice chips on the label, and so the lacquer will enable us to do that while protecting the label.
In a future post, I’ll talk about the next step, which is applying the water-glucose mixture and ice chips, which also demands additional preparation time as it’s a fiddly job. But for now, I hope that shines some light on how we prepare bottles for our shoots.
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Do look around the rest of the blog here for more helpful posts, and if you have any questions please reach out. I’m happy to advise. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn where I always answer messages with a detailed reply.