Does this help?
I mean, I know as far as beers go, it's not the best, but, trust me, I've still got a couple of cans of Natty Ice in my fridge, and well... I know what bad beer is, and this doesn't quite qualify.
In fact, one of the things I like about Rolling Rock is that it's an ideal hangover beer. There were a few mornings in my shady, dark past where I'd crawled out of bed with a bloody, head-shredding hangover to have a healthy breakfast of bacon, coffee and cigarettes (and pancakes. I love the pancakes), and when all was somewhat settled inside, the remainder of my day was spent drinking Rolling Rock and playing Risk with friends (because, we all know, the best cure for a hangover is a drunken, world-conquering rampage).
Anyway, today's picture isn't really so much about the beer, but I just wanted to show off the kick-ass lighting I managed to eke out on this shot (in fact, this is the Clone's beer. I don't really drink all that often these days since I've usually got some sort of pain-killer plowing through my system). I was surprised it turned out so good. It's almost perfect, and if it wasn't for that blown-out bit on the lower, left-edge of the bottle, we'd be looking at a beer commercial. And, well... who doesn't like beer commercials?
The thing is, I'm trying to get more involved in lighting for my shots. I really want to start doing more portrait work, and lighting is a vital ingredient. In fact, great lighting can make a cheap, crappy lens look great, and bad lighting can make the best lens look lousy. So, I ordered a few, ultra-cheap things like light-stands, another flash, an umbrella, some colored plastic pieces to put over my light source (they call them "gels" for some reason), and a few other accouterments to hopefully help me become a more versatile photographer. I'm all wound up to start fiddling.
I even got the girlfriend-ex-girlfriend signed on to be a model for me to hone my skills on. I hope she's got the patience. I'm not a natural photographer, I don't think. I'm just trying to learn the rules and stuff.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules out there, and there's a brand, spankin' new photographer out there in Tennessee who I'll be writing about later this week. She does portraits with nothing more than natural lighting, and they are incredible. So, look for that coming down the tubes.
Anyway, I've decided to see if I can find some way of making a few pennies to rub together with this whole photography thing. I mean, if I can make some beer money out of this, I'll be happy. Of course, I really don't have a damn bit of business sense, so who knows?
Well, enjoy your Mondays.
-DP
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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 8/11/2008 12:22:00 AM
Well, if your aim here is to be good enough for a beer commercial, it worked. I'm thirsty now. For something like Rolling Rock. Good thing my friend has a cold St. Pauli Girl in his frig. I should e-mail him now and tell him it has MY name on it:) (I COULD go buy Rolling Rock, and I'd enjoy it, or at least, I imagine myself enjoying it after viewing this photo, but hey, free beer works, too, sometimes.)
ReplyDeleteGreat pic, lousy beer. Remember those hangovers from RR from 50 years ago. Bill
ReplyDeleteSomehow I think you'll be a wiz with the new lighting. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteB.
Looks great--I like how the light shines through the beer, highlighting the "1939" and showing a touch of condensation on the bottle. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI tried a new beer yesterday that might be available in your area. We were at the Minneapolis airport, and although we weren't able to find the Larry Craig Memorial Restroom, I WAS able to try Summit, which is brewed in MSP. It's a pale ale, and tasted quite a bit like Sierra Nevada to me. Yummy!
Beth