Assignment: The client is a distributor of adult beverages, and specializes in exotic cocktails. Colorful drinks in fancy glasses. From martini glasses to tall, skinny glasses, the drinks are both colorful and delivered with style in most establishments.

He wants a shot to augment his marketing campaign, and show the products he delivers in a trade ad for the adult beverage industry. The ad will be short on copy, but strong on visuals. Most other advertisers in the magazine opt to show their trucks and forklifts, but he wants to grab the attention of the viewers by showing them the end use of the products he delivers.

A striking, cool shot of beverage glasses shot with a visual kicker that grabs attention is what he wants. 

Stemware: cocktail glasses, wine glasses, martini glasses… etc.

Glass(es) and one item to add a bit of color.

Could be the cocktail inside, could be a single raspberry, could be… well…

This is for a single glass or up to 5 glasses. The shot should be against a plain color background. White would be fine, although black can be very cool IF you know how to light glassware against black.

Color can be introduced by what is in the glass, a prop that augments the drink (strawberry, cherry, lime), or something totally different. Impress the client with something that grabs the attention of the restaurant owners/managers and it is a win.

The image must be shot vertically. The client doesn’t have an art direction that he wants to pursue, only that it should be a very dramatic shot.

He has a few examples that were pulled from different places. He doesn’t want to copy, but only to give you some ideas of stuff he likes.

IDEATION:

Here are several image suggestions for your stemware:

1. Silhouette Magic: Use a bright background color (e.g. cobalt blue, vibrant orange) for the photo. Place the stemware in such a way that it creates an intriguing silhouette against the brightly colored background. The glass would be mostly transparent but its edges, imperfections, and shape would become apparent because of the backlight. This could create a dramatic and striking image.

2. Light Reflections: Photograph the stemware in a completely white room. Choose a single colored light source, like a red LED light, which can be aimed at the glass. The light will refract through the stemware creating beautiful patterns around the room, and this light play would draw attention to the glass.

3. Colorful Smoke: Use smoke or dry ice to create a mesmerizing effect inside the glass. Use colored light to tint the smoke or fog that’s released. This could be done in a low light setup to bring more emphasis on the colored smoke.

4. Splashes of Color: Capture high-speed shots of a single color liquid being poured or splashed into the glass. The suspended droplets and the ripple effect on the surface will give the photo a dynamic feel.

5. Prism Effect: Use a color gel on your light source to project a spectrum onto a white surface. Position the stemware in such a way that it disrupts the color spectrum, bending the light and casting interesting shadows.

6. Artistic Shadows: Place the stemware on a white surface under a strong, single colored light source. Position other transparent objects around it in such a way that they create an intricate shadow play on the surface.

7. Frosted Glass: If the glass is frosted, experiment with colored light projection. The frosted texture will catch the light in unique ways, creating an ethereal and captivating image.

8. Reflection in Color: Position the stemware on a mirrored or highly reflective surface. Above it, hang a colored crystal that casts colored reflections on the glass and around it.

9. Fruity Fun: Colorful fruit can be used to give a splash of color in the glass. Strawberries, lemons, exotic fruits can add a touch of color to a nearly monochrome photograph.
10. All Broken Up: A glass standing amidst the broken shards of broken glasses or stems, with colored gels to give the broken glass another worldly sort of feel.