Warner Brothers teamed up with Southfork Bottling Company to create a new brand of Bourbon!

It was surprising to learn about the background of this bourbon, that it was actually inspired by a character in a show; J.R. Ewing was the show’s infamous character and iconic Texas tycoon who’s drink of choice was a superb quality bourbon.

Dallas’ legendary character J.R. Ewing; a ruthless and egotistical Texas oil baron with discerning taste, J.R. would no doubt have been pleased to see his own notorious name signed on the bottle of this well-crafted bourbon whiskey.

Bottle of the bourbon features a screen-printed image of the Southfork Ranch - home of the J.R. - which can be seen through the front of this elegant bottle.

If you are curious about the drink before you try it - the nose is classic and slightly fruity, with notes of vanilla, oak sweetness and a touch of orange. The taste is surprisingly mild, yet crisp, and exhibits a lightly spicy/honey taste that lingers on the palate.

And now for the technical part:

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 3x Elinchrom BRX500 and Capture One Pro 11.

Cheers!

Mirza

Liquid Gold

Suntory Whisky Toki - where old meets the new.

That makes so much sense, especially when you realize that “TOKI” means time in Japanese. Just like the country of Japan that sparks two associations at the same time, old tradition and the new modern; this whisky needs a similar presentation. So if you put a very sleek, modern, uncomplicated and to the point glass bottle – in an environment that represents modern, yet traditional association to the Mountain Fuji in the front and background, with a material that was actually made to be used in space by astronauts, you get a “Vivid Harmony where old meets the new” which is their very theme.

Technical aspect of it is: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM, Elinchrom BRX500 (x2), Elinchrom D-Lite 400it, Elinchrom Mini SpotLite projection attachment, Elinchrom Rotalux MiniRecta softbox, 10° honeycomb grid on standard reflector and B+W 10-stop ND filter.

Cheers Mirza!

Something's brewing...

First time I saw the bottle with a strange cross, it reminded me of the Templar Knights, before I found out that it was actually a Cross of Lorraine. France's emblem of courage, honor and perseverance. 

It took cellar master Michael Casavecchia two decades to create this masterpiece. That's true perseverance! I am very close to spending two decades involved in photography business. 

When was the last time some of us invested 2 years in something, not knowing if it will amount to a result we hope for? That's 2 years, 24 months, 730 days, 17,520 hours and then you can finally see if others share your excitement in your new skill, or in this case a taste of a brand new cognac; when you open the French oak cask and let the eaux-de-vie or "water of life" into a glass and hope that the dark Amber liquid will explode and arouse their palate. 

It took time, planing, arranging and a sprinkle of luck to create this image. Maybe it was influenced by a Harry Potter marathon I spent last week watching with my wife to create this? In any case I wanted to share with you my vision of mystique that this drink inspires...

... Since the dawn of time, potions were brewed, giving one magical powers... or magical pleasure. 

Experience the magic of D'Ussé Cognac.  

Cheers Mirza

Technical data: Canon EOS 6D and Canon EF 100m f/2.8L Macro IS USM on Cambo studio stand, Elinchrom D-Lite 400it + Elinchrom Mini Spot Lite, Elinchrom D-Lite 400it + 10° honeycomb grid. Shot tethered with Adobe Lightroom CC, finished in Adobe Photoshop CC. RAW file format, f/8, 1/160, ISO 100

Why this photo?

As a product photographer, I was always inspired by the liquor photography. Just look at all those artistic bottle designs that you can only see in perfume bottles. That special design that sends us all a message that this liquid is something to behold. It's a promise by the manufacturer that you will enjoy every single drop of this heavenly drink. 

Rémy Martin XO cognac

It is so special, that pouring it in any regular glass would diminish the elegance of the experience. And I thought about that glass, searched for it, and finally found the balance that this one has with the enchanting swirls of the bottle. Then it was a matter of the surface you would place the two on. It could not be any simple table, it had to be an old antique mahogany table surface. The one to help you transform yourself closer to the very selective gentlemen's club, where sipping it would mean that not only you belong there, but you can taste the essence of success. 

Before and after

Why the purple background you might ask? Because purple was always regarded as a Regal color that fits perfectly to the idea I had when composing this image. Attention to detail always rewards you in the end. 

How I managed to get the glorious amber liquid to shine in this shot is more technical in nature, so for those of you that are interested, feel free to check out my Facebook page for the specifics. 

Cheers,

Mirza