Those of you who frequent this site know that I have quite a penchant for photographing alcohol. The resulting images are generally abstract, saturated with bold color and rich with seductive curves.

I'm often asked about the lighting setup for these types of shots, so I figured I'd offer some details about one of my recent photos:

First off, it's worth mentioning that the image above is very close to what the camera captured. Aside from a very minimal curves adjustment and some selective sharpening, no post processing was performed on this image. It's all about the lighting. The setup for this, as well as many of my other alcohol abstracts is so simple that it's almost embarrassing. It is illustrated in this incredibly detailed drawing:

Aside from having an SLR or Digital SLR, you do not need any expensive equipment for this setup. Any tripod will do. The +10 magnification filter can be found for under $40. You don't need any strobes or fancy lights.

In this example, I placed a cheap Ikea light on the floor (it was the only source of light in the room), and put the bottle of beer on top of it, shining light through the bottle. I equipped my 50mm lens with the closeup filter and placed my camera on the tripod, positioning it so that the lens was just an inch or two from the bottle's opening.

Once your gear and your subject are set up, fire away. Take some shots focusing on the rim of the glass or bottle, and try some focusing on the liquid inside. Experiment with different apertures and angles, and most of all, have fun!