Recently I did a shoot for Great Jones Distilling in the NoHo neighborhood of New York City. We photographed the food, beverages and of course the whiskey and rye. Great Jones is a brand of whiskey that is distilled right there on site in the heart of Manhattan. They have a three story townhouse that’s entirely dedicated to making, selling and consuming their delicious brown liquors. On the first floor you’ll find a restaurant and bar. On the second tucked away a quite more speakeasy style bar is across from the distillery with private event spaces on the third floor. It’s an impressive place to visit and see the massive distilling operation with huge fifteen feet tall whiskey stacks. So big you could imagine swimming in one of them and coming up for air in between delicious gulps. Above this on the top floor is a private event space that can be rented and where they hold performances. The decor of the spaces harkens back to a time when prohibition in NYC was in full force and drinking moonshine was an illicit business done in secret. Maybe that adds to the thrill of a visit. Something more than just a stop at your corner bar but an escape into a fantasy. Where you and your partner can walk in with one identity and escape into another where you’re highway robbers hiding out from Johnny law.
For this shoot we photographed their brunch, lunch and dinner items. And of course the whiskey and a handful of cocktails. Brunch is a big draw for them and it lends nicely to whiskey flavored syrup pancakes and bacon to balance out the flavors. It’s hard to go wrong with sweet, savory and salty. I always love it when I have a client that let’s me do dramatic lighting. I’m a chameleon in that I can adapt the style of my shots and my lighting to match the needs of my clients. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still have my favorite styles and modes of expression. My heart is bright and full of love but it likes to find itself in darkly lit romantic rooms. With a candle here and there and a spotlight on the action. In this case chicken and waffles being drowned in whiskey flavored syrup.
For this shoot I used my beauty dish with a tight grid spot and ring light to fill in the shadows. I love the ring light for food and beverage photography but it can be tricky to use. It’s most effective at filling in shadows and bringing detail to the food. But it can also at times make unwanted reflections too and you need to be careful with the angles that you use and mindful of the surface textures. A steak glistening with oil can become right with unwanted highlights. Or a cocktail glass can end up with a bright line across it. Sometimes this can be welcome. A cocktail glass can have an electric feeling like you’ll be zapped with energy when your fingers touches it. Or it can make a steak feel overly greasy and not very desirable. It’s so important as a photographer to just simply be mindful of what you’re doing. The position of the camera to the subject to the lights to the person sitting on the other side of the room. Everything can have an impact from the color of the walls or floors to a window that’s open or closed. Great photography is made by astutely observing every little detail and making tiny little adjustments until it’s perfect.
