Photographing Clear Liquid Bottles (Gin/Vodka)

Wondering how to make bottles look beautiful? All will become clear…

Discover a host of clear bottle photography techniques that you can easily and effectively try out for yourself!

Learn from a pro as Karl shows you step-by-step how to light and photograph bottles of clear liquid such as gin or vodka.

You’ll discover how to achieve perfect condensation to create that cold, desirable look. Learn which backgrounds and base surfaces work best, and how to light the product beautifully using just two lights.

You’ll also learn how to incorporate additional lights to highlight the label and reduce unwanted shadows, further enhancing your shot.

Simple steps for photographing clear bottles:

  • Prepare the bottle – This includes cleaning the bottle and creating controllable condensation
  • Select the background and base surface – These will have a big impact on your overall image
  • Light the product – This can be done using just a few lights with basic modifiers
  • Photograph the bottle – Determine your composition and camera settings

If you enjoy this class, check out our Whisky Photography and Wine Bottle Photography classes. You can also find tips for creating your own perfect condensation in The Perfect Pint and Condensation Cold Look.

Questions? Please use the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Hi Karl, you’ve got me really excited about this subject! I’m trying to source some perspex for my background and it seems there is a large degree of newonce in opacity and light transmission between different types of perspex. I’m trying to make a decision between two product types:

    1) Frosted Clear Cast with a light transmission of 85%
    2) Light Diffusing Opal with a light transmission of 48%

    Any help you can give me with this would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,
    Jay

    1. Hi Jay, thanks. To be honest I’ve got a bunch of the stuff in all sorts of thickness, size and opacity. The most common to use is the 5mm thick Opal (it looks white) with 48% transmission. This can serve as a background but also as an excellent diffusion material for lighting some subjects. The 3mm has less opacity because it’s thinner and is also useful but it’s more bendy. The frosted one is often a bit bluer but depends on the brand. Depending on your budget you might want to get a few but if not go for the opal to start. Be careful not to melt it with your modelling light too close, turn the modelling light off it you’ve got it close (or just turn it one when you need to check the light and then off again).

      2. Hi Karl, apologies but I forgot to mention I got some 100mm samples of acrylic from a company in the UK called Simply Plastics. The clear frosted sample which I mentioned in my original question was as I expected, clear acrylic just with frosted surfaces to both sides (LT85%) but the light diffusing opal one (LT48%) which they say is “specially optimised for the diffusion of LED lighting” actually has a gloss finish to both sides, is ok or does the finish have to me frosted?

        Thanks again,
        Jay

        1. Hi, yes that’s normal all of the opals are glossy. Simply Plastics I think is part of Barkston Plastic where I get a lot of my stuff from. The only time I use matt acrylic is the solid white as a base surface to put stuff on.

          1. Hi Karl,

            Thanks for that, I’ll get the glossy opal one in 5mm.

            As Steve Jobs used to say there is just one more thing! sorry 🙂

            It seems to me that if you are serious about shooting clear liquids in bottles you really need to get the Broncolour Picolite but obviously this is very expensive. I have been trying to find a light projection attachment with the 4 blades to use on my Bowens flash heads but I’m getting swamped with which product to go for. Is there a product you can recommend? I have found some with the blades like your pico but it seems they are for use with continuous lights not flash.

            Thanks again,
            Jay

            1. Hi, Broncolor is an excellent brand and the range of lights and modifiers is superb, however the picolites can be quite pricey plus the accessories to go on them such as the projection attachment or fresnels etc plus the lights also need a power pack so it can all add up and they are aimed at the pro market. There are some alternatives, I believe there was an independent Godox one with the aperture blades but I can’t remember where or it may have been a westcott one. Ah yes here it is: https://www.fjwestcott.com/products/optical-spot-by-lindsay-adler?srsltid=AfmBOooxmiXlf_yHivF0picIOtzm0d3f21ArjMOeL7HNVrmaBbvn7Mbx

  2. I love your videos so much. Grateful to be learning from you. Also, I love how you handle some of the stupid questions that people ask, I wouldn’t have that much patience haha

    2. Yes I’d love to push the boat out and get the Picolites but all my heads are monos so I just can’t justify it until I start making some money. Really enjoying the videos and thanks for the link. Excited about doing some shots now.

      Jay

  3. Hi Karl
    Frosted glass protector for Pulso or Unilite 5900k or 5500k, which one did you use Karl? When I go to Broncolor’s website, there are 2 options for the frosted glass protector.
    My second question is if we use 5900 in the frosted, won’t the color change if the other heads are 5500 clear? Normally, how many kelvin is the clear glass of your pulso or unilite? 5500 or 5900? I am really confused 🙂
    By the way, I looked at the glass of the Siros and they’re 5900. So if we use pulso and siros together, should they all be 5900?

    1. Hi, I never knew that there were two options for the frosted glass protector – let me see if mine have any writing on them……All the ones I have say 5500K. All my clear ones are 5500k. With regards mixing them you are worrying too much. The difference is 400k and still right in the acceptable daylight band. If you put a softbox on that would change the colour balance more than any of these domes. If you mix 5500k and 5900k equally then you’re going to end up with something around 5700K and it’s all full spectrum lighting so no problem mixing it. You need to focus on taking pictures and stop worrying about this small stuff, you could be using these lights on location doing a portrait of someone in their own house or room and the slight beige or pink colour of the walls would make more difference that the temperature of these domes. Just get a colour checker / grey card in your shot to neutralise to later.

  4. Hello Karl,

    I’m having a hard time with the reflection. I used a plastic mirror like you did, and also tested with a regular mirror. I was shooting a plastic vitamin bottle, and the reflected text appeared doubled — creating a ghosted effect slightly shifted from the original.

    What could be causing this, and how can I prevent it?

    1. Hi, are you talking about using the mirror from the side or behind? Was the ghosted text a shadow from the text? There are a few things I don’t understand here with regards your particular image or scenario, if you’d like to email me your result then I should be able to identify the problem.

  5. bhanukaran

    Hello Karl, For the background light. Can I simply use a large 85 cm octabox with an addition diffuser in front of it, so form a gradient ball?

    1. Hi, yes you could try this but remember the Octabox is not round so you might want to make a card board circle mask over it to make it round. The gradient ball won’t be as strong as a bare bulb or P70 light because the Octabox is already homogenous and bigger.

  6. Hi Karl, what are the approximate dimensions of the polished metal board you used under the bottle? Thank you!

    1. Hi, it was about 50 x 80cm but the bigger the better (within reason) as you can then use it for other things.

  7. acroft911

    Hi Karl, loving these tutorials, could you tell me what consistency the mix of liquid to water, please for the spray?

      1. thank you Karl, in this video you used 2 stop cine ND. Would you get the same effect if you used 3 stop Cine ND instead of 2 stop cine ND?

        1. Yes, you would just need to adjust the power of your lights to match but otherwise the result would be exactly the same.

  9. Hi Karl! I’m getting so much out of your courses; it’s been a true revelation! On the white acrylic, here in the states they have “plexiglass” with different light transmission qualities. I’m assuming 2447 would be the correct one based on what you demonstrated. From the Plastics site:
    White plexiglass color and application guidelines:
    • 2447 – 50% light transmission for lighting, light boxes and tables
    • 7328 – 31% light transmission for backlit signs
    • 7508 – 9% light transmission for non-lit signs
    • 3015 – 3% light transmission for non-lit signs
    Any recommendation would be appreciated, thanks!

    1. Hi, glad to hear you are enjoying the platform. If you want to use it as a diffuser then yes the 2447 looks like the best option, I prefer the 5mm thick as a diffuser as it’s stiffer than the 3mm and easier to handle/support. If you want to use it as a base surface for things like packshots then the least transmission is best and have versions in gloss and matt.

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