'Behind the scenes' of the two glassware shots

[Canis Vulpes]

Previously I have shot glassware with light above the subject where light travels down bouncing off the rim then travelling through the glass to highlight any decorative cuts and any thick base. Lighting glassware from above cannot illuminate any etched logo or decoration ON the glass only IN the glass. My challenge was to light etched glass correctly and introduce some inspiration from packaging seen in Debenhams.

The tumbler shot -> http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...9&limit=recent

The whisky is not whisky, instead it South African Roobos tea a little diluted but in post production and effect of flash it appears darker than I would have hoped. Glenmornagie do produce dark whiskies but the popular 10 year old is a little lighter than pictured.

Both shots were produce in exactly the same way but differences in shape yielded slightly different photographs. Only one was flash unit was used, a Nikon SB-800 on manual output (1/4) at 105mm as I wanted a beam of light to hit the vertically placed polystyrene reflector. The subject was protected from this beam by the use of a black flag which is not pictured as I was not blessed with four arms! instead its drawn into (pic 2). The reflector introduced the pencil thin line on the tasting glass
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...500&ppuser=101
but had little effect on the tumbler only to show as two faint lines at the top near rim. Lighting from behind did illuminate etched writing in the tumbler without any hotspots detracting from the text. Lighting in this manner also made the fluid glow setting apart from black background.

Pictures of setup

Pic 1 shows flash unit
Pic 2 shows overall setup annotated.