In the following post, we’re going to tell you exactly how to take great cocktail photos with your phone. One of the largest challenges to content creation in this social-media-hungry world is keeping up with the demand for great photography, especially when you’re just starting with your business. Styled shoots are great, but you have to wait for the pictures, and even then there are likely just a few unique ones.
Hiring a professional photographer is another great option, but can be expensive. You could use stock photos but overuse of stock photos can be obvious and offputting for potential customers. That leaves you, your cocktail, and your trusty phone.
No fear. Fortunately, you don’t need a professional camera as most phones these days have quality cameras built in. You can take great cocktail photos with your phone if you keep the following things in mind.
1. Use Natural Light
Most photographers will tell you that the greatest light source is natural light, even for beverage photography. You could buy expensive equipment to mimic natural light or move your goods over to a window or out on your porch.
The #1 key to great cocktail photography and getting that really professional look is leveraging natural lighting.
Note, however, that direct light or hard light can cast harsh shadows that may be distracting, create unwanted reflections off the glass, or wash out the colors. To capture a great cocktail picture in good lighting, avoid direct sunlight.
Try to take photos early in the day or before sunset when the light is diffused. Photos on cloudy days are also great as the clouds act as a natural light diffuser!
If you have to use artificial lighting it’s a good idea to keep it as soft as possible. Soft light isn’t going to cast such harsh shadows and is a great way to take better photos when natural light just isn’t an option.
2. Use a Neutral Background
Neutral backgrounds make it easy to highlight the cocktail in the image. Neutral doesn’t have to mean a white, black, or beige background though, it can just mean “not busy.”
Some real stars that look great with cocktails are wood, stone, natural fibers (like straw/burlap/etc), and linens like tablecloths and napkins.
For best results, if you do have a busy background in the shot, try blurring the background so that it’s more muted. This is called a shallow depth of field and will have a similar “highlighting” effect on the cocktail, which leads to better drink photos.
3. Be Intentional with Angles | Cocktail Photos with your Phone
Shooting from above is often the best angle for food dishes, but with drinks, you often want to shoot from the side because you want to see what’s IN the glass.
A neutral background, as mentioned above, will help highlight any great colors or ingredients, but experiment with slight alterations in angle to find what works best for your shot.
I’ve found a good rule of thumb when trying to capture great photos is to shoot at an angle that is representative of how someone would be seeing the drink if they were standing in front of it.
Try playing with different angles while keeping your focus on the main subject (your beverage) to produce a great cocktail picture.
4. Be Mindful of the Drink Arrangement
If you’ve spent any time in a great restaurant you’ll know that a chef painstakingly plates every dish. Even though it may taste like plated heaven, you eat/drink with your eyes first.
When photographing your cocktails, pay extra attention to things like your garnishes (freshness and placement), ensuring the glass is clean, and that the ice is fresh if you’re using real ice.
You’ll also want to ensure the cocktail hasn’t been sitting so long in the glass that water is now condensing and running down the side of the glass.
You can use acrylic ice cubes if you’re photographing in warmer weather or you’re concerned about the duration of the shoot at room temperature. A fresh, well-composed cocktail is key for taking next level beverage photos.
5. Utilize Negative Space
One of the best ways to highlight a gorgeous cocktail is to give it space. Don’t zoom in really close to it, but give it enough negative space to stand out. Try putting it on the left of the frame, or the right instead of dead center. See what works best for that particular shot.
When in doubt play with the rule of thirds to help you get a really good photo. This photography term means that you place the focal point (your beverage) on the left or right side of the frame and leave 2/3 of the image open to background or styling.
6. Style the Shot | Cocktail Photos with your Phone
Pictures become instantly more interesting when you decorate a scene with related, but smaller, items. Try using the ingredients you used to make the drink, or natural/neutral accents like flowers, succulents, etc.
I’ve found it looks most natural when it’s haphazardly arranged. There tends to be order in the chaos! You can also use the rule of odds to help you capture great photos.
The rule of odds is simple, you just arrange your fresh fruit or garnishes in odd numbers rather than even to give a more natural feel
7. Build a Story
Sometimes you just want a photo of a cocktail, maybe for your website, or a recipe post, but sometimes you want it to be a post that allows you to tell a story. You can do this by bringing in movement.
Add a book and a reader will envision the turning of pages, add hands holding cocktails and people envision the “cheering” of glasses, catch a shot of ice dropping into a glass and they envision the feel of splashing water.
8. Leverage AI |Cocktail Photos with your Phone
If taking great cocktail photos is a struggle for you or you just don’t have the time, there are a ton of AI tools you can leverage to substitute for drink photography.
Midjourney and DALL-E generate fantastic photos that are hyper-realistic, and you can inform them of your brand and the style you’re going for. There are new AI generators showing up daily, but a quick Google search can help you find the right tool for you.
For more information on marketing your mobile bar business effectively, check out the Mobile Bar Academy or our Marketing Mastery for Mobile Bars Course in our shop at Mobile Bev. Pros.