How to Make Transparent Liquids Pop

Lighting liquids for table top or an insert shot can be a little difficult, because, well they’re generally transparent. You need to reflect light off of something in order to see and record it right? So how do you do that when it’s mostly transparent.

Here’s a few tips and tricks

Light from behind, like you would do with steam or smoke. Any light from the front will just add reflections to the glass and not really do much for the liquid. But hitting it 3/4 back with a spotted light can do wonders. This allows the light to spread through the liquid towards the lenses and make it pop, especially if there’s bubbles or ice.Recommend using a snoot to focus light just where you want it. Here I’m using black wrap to create one since I’m using a small LED bar bulb.

Now the back light could simulate bright sunlight, a hint of it, or dimmed way down so you just feel the effect. Use paper tape on your snoot or a small card if you need to flag it off areas, like the table top for example.

An additional trick is to put a small piece of aluminum foil under a glass to reflect the spot light up into the liquid inside.

Note that any light or bright surface behind a liquid can help enhance it. Like daylight from windows or their reflection off a table top behind it. Also keep in mind that backlighting can also bring out any imperfections or scratches in glassware.

Thanks for watching. Let us know any topics you would like us to cover and subscribe to our channel to get new videos posted weekly. Until next time.

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