Hello, I am a photo student and I am in my second studio class-dealing
with strobes. I have been attempting to photograph wine glasses, but I
can't seem to get it correctly. The wine looks dull etc..what is the
best way to light wine glasses? With a soft box behind? What kind of
background? Help! Any input would be appreciated.


To see something that is transparent you have to look at the light coming
through it. You can't photograph a stained glass window without light
coming through.

You'll need some chrome or white metal sheeting, white card, an exacto
knife, putty, pipe cleaner/twist tie wire and some wood blocks.

Shape a reflector to fit behind the glass. Aluminum foil is not good for
this cause it is hard to fold it, shape it around the cardboard without
wrinkles, you can do this for beer, but wine is smooth and clear and should
not have distortions except those that are from the glass itself.

use thin strips of white card on either side of the glass to give a
reflection on the sides to reveal the shape of the glass.

with digital you do things that would have taken a lot more effort. You can
lock down the camera on a tripod and photograph multiple shots of the same
scene. shoot just the wine glass with the transparent glow, mask it off in
photoshop, shoot the label of the wine bottle with a light from the front so
the label glows with a specular edge on the raised printing, something that
would detract from the glass part of the bottle and wine glass, hit the
background props with side light to reveal the texture of the wood and/or
whatever else you've set up. And with layers and masks build up the image
on the computer, all in register.

I remember taking a freaking month to shot a stupid clock radio. Each
freakn indicator light on the front required a separate exposure, the front
required a light from behind reflected off a big white card, the background
needed two exposures for the horizon effects cut out of cardboard.
shooting it with the one strobe set up took several rearrangements, without
moving either camera or subject, all on one piece of film. It took so long
that I went past the 30 days return on the damn thing.

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