7 Tips to improve your cocktail photography

If you are looking to get your cocktail photography skills up to par, this blog post is for you. We will discuss the different aspects of cocktail photography that make a drink look real and give it an amazing shot. It isn’t difficult once you know what to do!

The purpose is to tell the story of this drink, so you will want to make sure that your cocktail has a simple background and what you want around it. You might not have anything in front of it or all around it (think about where in the bar they would be).

Sketch out your shot

It’s always helpful to sketch out what your cocktail is going to look like before you start shooting it. Figure out your light direction, what’s in the background and how tall or short your drink will be with a cocktail shaker next to it for scale. It’s important to get a plan together because pouring your drink and positioning ice is the last thing before taking the shot.

Make Your Cocktails Look Realistic

Background props are also important; for example, bottles and bartending tools all help to create a mood.

”Don’t worry about adding too many props or making them look perfect – you’re just going for realism here and it’ll be more believable with some imperfections (think of the real cocktail world).

Cocktail Photoshoot pre-pour checklist:

If you are photographing drinks, before pouring any liquids make sure you have the following:

Glassware & garnish selections

The first thing to consider when setting up your drink is what glass you’re going to use, you want to find the most photogenic cocktail glass for your shot. The glass you choose for the cocktail will also depend upon where it’s being photographed from, how much of the drink can be seen in the shot, and what mood you’re trying to achieve.

For cocktail photography, go for a glass that will showcase the drink and how it’s being mixed (like a clear cocktail in a martini glass), but also consider which shape works best. Before you take any pictures of drinks, think about what size they are going to be when they’re done pouring. A standard cocktail recipe is two shots poured into a cocktail shaker and then strained into a cocktail glass, so make sure you have the appropriate size rim for your drink.

Lighting for drinks & cocktails

To create a drink’s cocktail photograph, you need to have the right lighting setup in order to make it look appealing and realistic. The first thing is that you will want there to be light coming from; there are 3 main food and drinks photography lightings.

Side lighting your cocktail – is the easiest lighting for beginners as all you need to do is put your cocktail next to a window.

Behind your cocktail – this will provide contrast with the glassware, making it more of a cocktail.

A Multi-light set- up allows you to get a full rim lighting. This particular shot was a side light and fill light.

The second thing is that you will need to find the perfect balance of light and shadow on your drink with the background so it doesn’t take over, but still looks natural.

And finally, when photographing drinks or cocktails make sure there’s enough backlighting (or “rim lighting”) for them to stand out against whatever they’re sitting on.

Composition & styling

Elements of composition

There are some basic elements of composition that you will want to take into account when photographing cocktail photography; Angles, layers, white space, focus, lines and movement.

Find the best angle

Most drink photography are done at a few distinct angles.

The first is when the cocktail and glass are at eye level to provide a sense of scale. This would be used for drinks that have tall glasses with high “crowns” or short cocktail shakers.

The second angle is from above, which has become popular in recent years thanks to Instagram influencers (and mainly because it looks cool). It’s best to do drink photography from this angle when lower alcohol drinks are being poured into taller cocktail glasses.

The third angle is the “sneaky” shot, which is used for cocktails that have a broad range of ingredients and you want it all in one photo – like a Sex on the Beach (with its orange slice). This is also the best choice to use for shots of cocktail shakers.

The fourth angle is when you’re looking at a drink from the side, which gives it more depth and makes it appear taller or wider than it actually is. This can be very useful when photographing drinks that are tall but thin (like martinis or daiquiris).

Create movement aka leading lines

The next element is creating some sense of motion into your cocktail photography. This can be done with leading lines (such as the stem of a cocktail glass), or by adding ice, which will melt over time giving you that effect.

Layers

There are many ways you can create layers in your drink photography to give it more detail and depth.

The first way is by using cocktail shakers to show the layers of ingredients – this will also allow you to showcase how your drink’s cocktail was mixed in a creative way that doesn’t look too staged. If you want to learn more about you can layer different liquids, check out…

The second layer can be created with ice, which not only looks cool but will make a drink seem more refreshing, great for summer fruit based cocktails. The third layer can be created by using cocktail garnishes, like fruit slices or cocktail olives – these also help to make drink photography look more detailed.

Whatever food styling and props you choose; they should play a crucial role in enhancing the overall visual appeal of your dishes, adding personality and telling a story through your food photography.

Colors & contrast

Thinking about the colours of your drink will help to make cocktail photography look more appealing and realistic. Consider balancing the colour of your drink with whatever else you’re putting in it (you don’t want a lime green cocktail that’s too noticeable). It is also important to think about contrast when setting up drinks for cocktail photography; this will make them stand out against their background. For cocktail photography, this means highlighting the cocktail glass or other props against a dark background.

Focus & depth of field

The final element is focus: make sure you focus on the cocktail and not anything else in your drink photography. Depth of field will have a large effect, so either blur out what’s around it or zoom all the way into the cocktail to make sure that you’re taking full advantage of directing your viewer.

White space

When photographing drinks or cocktails it’s important to create white space around the drink so that other elements of the photo don’t overwhelm the cocktail or drink. This is also important for zooming in on cocktail photography to show the different layers of ingredients.

Drink Photography Tips

Prep garnishes in advance

You’ll need to prepare your scene in advance before mixing your drink. This includes the garnishes that will go in your cocktail and where you’re going to put them. For cocktail photography, this means arranging all of the ingredients on a plate or tray before pouring it into a glass.

Reflections

Drink photography glass reflections can be challenging. The key is to make sure that the cocktail and glassware are both clean, otherwise you will end up with a ton of unwanted reflections in your drink photography. If you are struggling with reflections try using a polarising filter to reduce the glare.

Ice

The final step is adding ice – your cocktail has now taken shape! If you want there to be some in the shot of your cocktail, you might want to consider using fake ice or adding your garnish to your ice cubes to add a pop of colour to your shot.

Creative cocktails photography ideas

If you want your drinks or cocktail photography to be more creative, there are some easy things that can help make them stand out. Try one of these creative cocktail photography ideas.