Proper focal length is one of the keys to making a great photo. I go through several most common for commercial photography focal lengths and angles and compare results with ad pictures of different beer brands.

In order to achieve success in advertising photography one should first learn all basic tools and techniques that allow to get any desirable result. How to get a nice clean reflex on the bottle, how to create a fading reflex, how to avoid interference of several lights – these and other questions are answered in this and the next part.

Second and final part about lighting.

Classic “American” lighting scheme with one light behind the bottle and centered light on the label.

Some ideas could be much easier realized on retouching instead of creating a complicated lighting scheme. This image is an example of how simple post production can save a lot of time and allow to receive an impressive result.

European style of shooting beer. Very delicate fading reflexes and calm mood.

Sometimes advertising images are based on a logo embossed on a glass. In this case the main goal is to show the beauty of shapes.

The whole new approach to shooting beer by making a series of images with just one light at a time and composing lights on post production.

Retouching of Stella Artois bottle and working on the background.

Retouching of the first image and creating a background with a glow underneath the bottle.

Retouching of the second image by composing three pictures into one image.

Retouching of the third image and creating a nice classic green Heineken background.

Retouching of the fourth and five images. Color correction and composing of different parts of the images.

Retouching of the sixth image. An innovating technique of composing lights which give a great flexibility in a post production process.