Drinks Photography

Drinks photography for bars, restaurants and hospitality brands across Birmingham, Bristol and London. I’ve photographed everything from carefully crafted cocktails and freshly poured pints to wine, spirits and soft drinks, working with large hospitality brands including Greene King, Punch Pubs, Flight Club and TGI Fridays, as well as independent restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK.

For me, good drinks photography is all about making the viewer feel like they are there in the moment, with the drink right there in front of them. I try to create a natural feeling that reflects the mood of the venue or matches the brief, using lighting and styling to create a scene and draw the viewer to the focus of the image.

I want to see the condensation on the glass, the texture of the ice, the colour of the liquid and the details of the garnish. I aim to bring that to life with lighting choices that best show off the qualities of each drink.

Whether it’s a pint straight from the tap or a cocktail that has taken five minutes to build, the aim is to photograph the drink while it is still at its absolute peak. There’s nothing particularly appealing about a sorry-looking pint that’s been sitting on the bar for half an hour.

Lighting plays a big part in my approach to drinks photography. Glass, ice and liquid all react differently to light, so I use it to bring out the colour, transparency and shape of a drink while keeping it looking natural. Sometimes that means crisp, bright lighting to pick out every detail, while other shoots call for something darker and moodier to match the atmosphere of the bar.

Different briefs and clients call for different approaches. A clean hero shot gives the drink space to stand on its own, while wider table scenes, hands reaching for glasses and bartenders making cocktails add movement and context. These lifestyle images help show what it actually feels like to be in the venue, rather than simply documenting what’s on the menu. For me, that’s an important part of catching the viewer’s eye, stopping the scroll and bringing them into the scene.

For larger hospitality brands, consistency is important. The photography needs to work across multiple venues and sit comfortably alongside an established visual identity. Working with independent bars and restaurants can offer more freedom to develop a visual style around the individual venue. In both cases, I want the photography to feel specific to the client rather than applying the same style to every shoot.

I always love photographing the process. Pouring a pint, shaking a cocktail, capturing a splash, adding a garnish or finishing a drink with a final pour all create opportunities for movement. There’s something much more interesting about seeing a drink being made than just seeing the finished glass. These shots also give clients a broader library of images to use across websites, menus, PR, advertising and social media.

Having worked with clients across Birmingham, Bristol, London and the rest of the UK, I’m used to shooting in working bars and restaurants where space and time can be limited. I keep my setup flexible and work around the venue, making sure I’m not setting up a full lighting rig when it’s four deep at the bar, or standing in front of a cupboard that someone inevitably needs to get into.

Ultimately, strong drinks photography should make you want to reach into the image and pick up the glass. That’s pretty much the test for me. Make it look great, keep it believable and capture something of the atmosphere around it.