Simple Drink Photography and Styling Tips

Throughout the last part of 2022 I found myself drawn much more to photographing drinks versus food for my own creative work. And not just cocktails, but juices and smoothies, too. I shoot this sort of thing for clients occasionally, but when I set aside a day for myself, just to create, I find my thoughts going to drinks. These are three drink photography and styling tips I apply to my own work that might help you if you are photographing beverages or highlighting the drinkware or garnishes of beverages.

Find a creative point of focus.

This is most often a garnish, but it doesn’t always have to be. When you are using garnishes, though, remember that they’re for more than just cocktails. Edible flowers and microgreens add a nice touch to smoothies. 

Cocktail garnishes don’t have to be complex. A fresh herb, fresh or dried slice of citrus, or a big edible flower adds color contrast and texture for your hero spot of focus. 

Layered drinks and milky swirled coffees don’t need a garnish at all. Make that drama the focus point of your shot. 

Define the drink with your styling and creative lighting. 

A mason jar tea? Squeeze that jar in the shot. A simple, clean smoothie may need no other propping. Work sliced fruit into the side a mocktail glass. Show some matcha powder. Include the cocktail tools. Capture a bubbly pour. 

Taped or real windowpanes, plants in your light source, and lace curtains or curtain edges allow you to play with the light on your set to reflect an early sunrise or an evening cocktail hour. I’ve previously shared how I create interesting light patterns with natural light, season, and time of day.  

Backlight creates dramatic drink photos, but don’t commit to it. 

The light source behind your drink creates a dramatic drink photo, but don’t be afraid to switch that up for new moods. It’s also not always the best light direction when you are trying to highlight a garnish because that shadow falls to the front of the drink which is often the point of focus for a garnish. For pretty garnishes, I find side light to be a better option. (Turn the garnish, your hero spot, towards your light source.)

Best Beers for Food Photography

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When a beer style is not the focus of my shot and the drink is a supporting factor in the scene, I like to make things easier on myself. 

After shooting two of my own cookbooks that included beer in almost every shot, Food on Tap and Beer Bread, I’ve learned quite a bit about which beers will allow me to quickly nail a shot and which are going to need some extra care to capture well.

I choose a beer for food photography that holds its freshly poured look. Some beers are much better for that than others. When I’m simply adding beers to my shots and not showing off a particular beer brand or style, I tend to steer away from craft styles and take advantage of more widely produced beers. 

This is because 1)  they are often styles that hold their head or collar longer, and 2)  they are less expensive and I can afford to pour and pour until I get exactly the shot I want. 

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My favorites:

Stouts. Specifically nitro stouts and if it is in a can with a widget, even better. Yes, I’m talking Guinness here. If I could shoot with one stout all day long, this would be it. When you pour hard, that head will hold for what seems like hours compared to other beers. You can take shots to your heart's content and you’ll have your pick of several favorites in the end. 

Porters. A style very similar to stouts. Many porters will have a nice, long-lasting collar as well. 

American Light Lagers. The cheaper the better. You’ll need to pour hard and then let the head settle. It will fade much faster than a stout. The benefit is that you can use techniques to re-foam the beer, then dump and pour until you snag your shot without the worry that you are wasting something expensive or special.

Hefeweizen. If you are wanting a thicker, creamier look to your beer, versus a clear, light lager, try shooting with a hefeweizen from the imported section of the beer department. The foamy head tends to last somewhere between the time frame of a stout and light lager. 

Additionally, when shooting beer, I keep these two things in mind. 

Don’t try to create something that doesn’t exist. Many beers have foam heads that are either non-existent or that last a split second after being poured. Many brown ales and juice or hazy IPAs come to mind. 

Capture the beer as it would be served to you. There is no need to stress about trying to create and hold a foam head when there was never one for that style there in the first place. 

Use a beer-clean glass, regardless of the style or size of glass you use. If you don’t know what that is, I love this graphic from Cicerone.org where I have my Beer Server Certification. It shows the difference between a dirty and clean glass when it comes to the visibility of a beer. 

Quick Tips for Photographing Warm Drinks

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Foam, froth, and steam! That’s always what we are trying to capture when we photograph dreamy, comforting warm drinks.

Many of us are headed straight into that season, so let’s talk about a few quick tips for photographing warm drinks and capturing on camera what you envision in your head. 

Side note: In this post I’ve shared as many soups and similar foods than actual drinks because I have more experience with steam in this area. The same techniques apply to both. 

Tip One:  Layer
Don’t simply dump the frothed milk or whipped cream from a container onto the your coffee drink. Layer to build height and help that frothy top hold while you photograph it. Spoon on enough to cover the surface then continue to spoon more on, over and over until it builds over the cup. But be careful not to overflow it!

Tip Two:  Hot, hot, hot!
I make it a point in my photography to focus on learning the subjects and techniques that I enjoy photographing. I tend to let the rest go. I say this because there are industry tricks (like heated cotton balls) for faking steam in an image. That’s just not my jam. I like to photograph in real life. So when you want to capture steam, make sure your beverage (or soup or stew) is straight out of the pot or the stove. The more steam you have rolling, the more time you will have to capture your shot. 

Tip Three:  Light it up
While we often want steam shots to look dark and cozy, the key to seeing the steam is light. Be sure there is plenty of natural light hitting your subject. I find that backlight works the best. If you are trying to create a dark background, though, consider a black board or backdrop behind with plenty of side light on the subject. 

Bonus Tip:  Non-fat froths better
This is something I learned in my barista days. In college, I worked for a bagel bakery and when I worked the counter, we also had to make coffee drinks. When someone ordered a cappuccino and didn’t specify the milk type, we would always default to non-fat or skim because it foamed much more when steamed. It’s something I apply to my photography when I’m playing around with warm drinks for photos. 

These are just a few of my favorite tips. I hope they’ll serve as quick tips for photographing warm drinks and steaming bowls that you can start applying to your shoots right away. Over time, you’ll start to learn your shooting space and lighting better so that you can capture the steam and froth, just the way you want it every time.