Drink photography is its own specialized profession which we have enormous respect for. This guide is intended for food photographers who want to be able to use different kinds of glassware in their food shots, as well as shoot the occasional beverage.
Glassware is particularly challenging due to the reflective nature of glass. Reflections aren’t bad, necessarily, but as photographers, we want to be able to control them and use them effectively.
One of the most basic ways of controlling reflections is by using the right glassware. Believe me, it took me ages to learn this lesson.
To download this guide as a handy PDF, click here.
Check out our other prop guide for essential dishes, bowl and platters, as well as flatware, linens and all sorts of other helpful props.
genral tips for glassware
One of the most useful props in food & drink photography are clear, thin-walled drinking glasses. They are perfect for all sorts of beverages, but also desserts like parfaits and custards.
Delicate glassware gives a clean, sharp look because there is almost no distortion or discoloration of the contents. And they don’t have to be expensive at all. You can get these Marta glasses from CB2 for about $2.50.
For drinks, as much as possible, we use glasses that are textured. Some have facets, some are etched, some are frosted. This breaks up reflections, making them less intrusive and more pleasing to the eye.
There are times where that’s just not possible, like with most unadorned wine glasses, but when we can use non-smooth glassware, we do.
We’ll list our sources below, but 65% of our collection is from thrift stores, antique stores and garage sales.
vintage & modern cocktail glasses
Essentials: At least four stemmed and two stemless cocktail glasses, highball and rocks glasses.
Nice to have: Antique etched cocktail glasses, water goblets, classic beer glasses, small sherry glasses, champagne flutes, Nick and Nora glasses.
Look for cocktail glasses that have texture (like the Optic cocktail glass, above). The design breaks up the light, making a more pleasing reflection in the glass. For stemmed glasses, look for styles that are not too tall. Some height is nice, but if they are very tall it can be challenging to fill the bottom of the frame.
I love using antique glasses because they tend to have etched designs which also break up reflections in an appealing way.
You don’t need every style of glass in your collection. Unless you are shooting for a beverage company, you can mix and match glassware with different drinks.
wine glasses
Essentials: At least four stemmed wine glasses (all-purpose), and two stemless glasses.
Nice to have: Specific red and white wine glasses, sake glasses, crystal decanters, champagne flutes.
Wine glasses are some of the most challenging glasses to shoot with. Their globe shape and smooth surface make for unforgiving reflections. There are many techniques to control reflections on set, from using large softboxes and shooting through diffusion material, to strategically blocking off light.
Unless we’re shooting for a brand that requires a specific style of glass, we prefer to use tulip shaped glasses, or glasses with facets to break up reflections.
barware and accesories
Essentials: A matte, cobbler-style shaker and jigger. A manual corkscrew, cocktail picks, wood citrus reamer.
Nice to have: Bitters bottle, etched crystal decanters and shakers, etched mixing glass, bar spoon, muddler, channel knife, tongs and an atomizer.
I admit it. I have a thing for cocktail making accessories (luckily Matt has a thing for making cocktails). I love bitters bottles, and mixing glasses and fancy jiggers. I love cocktail sticks and weird little tongs. They have beautiful shapes and textures and reflect light in gorgeous ways.
vintage Bottles, jars and pitchers
Essentials: small to medium glass jars for syrups, spouted bottles for pouring.
Nice to have: small antique milk bottles, ball jars and vintage lab jars, pyrex urns.
Bottles are perfect for syrups and mixers, and help bring color and balance to compositions. Small to medium sizes work better than large, unless the main subject is a syrup and not a cocktail.
Vintage and antique bottles are our favorite because they often have a texture or patina that looks great on camera. Be careful with embossed or etched text – you might not necessarily want to associate your drink with the original contents of the bottle.
modern jars & bottles with lids
Essentials: Simple jars in various sizes. We love Weck jars because they have such beautiful shapes but there are a lot of other options. Ball jars (both modern and vintage) are also incredibly useful.
Nice to have: Large jars for juices and syrups, large canning style jars, bottles with swing-type lids.
MISCELLANEOUS GLASSWARE
Essentials: coffee and tea cups, saucers. Cozy mugs. Small spouted pitchers.
Nice to have: Tea pot, coffee urn, sugar bowl. A few colored glasses for pops of color. Fun, niche cocktail glasses (example: 1950s margarita glasses)
Of course what is considered “essential” depends on the kinds of subjects you shoot. If you photograph a lot of baked goods, having props for tea and coffee (and their accessories) will be very useful. Same if you shoot a lot of breakfast foods.
Having a few colored glasses is great for shots where you want a pop of color, but they only work if the color of the drink isn’t important. We would never shoot a wine brand or cocktail post in a colored glass because we want the viewer to be able to see the true color of the drink.
a list of our favorite sources for props (glassware, bottles, Jars)
- Thrift stores, antique stores, garage sales and flea markets — these are fantastic places to find all sorts of glassware.
- What to look for: Look for single or small sets of glasses, which are usually more affordable than full sets of six or more. Imperfections can give a piece character, but you don’t want something that looks too beaten up. Most antique and thrift stores (in the US) will have shelves of vintage bottles. Look for a variety of sizes, though smaller ones are often most useful.
MAJOR RETAILERS (IN THE US)
- Target — great for basics (water glasses, basic cocktail, mugs)
- West Elm – cocktail glasses and barware. Relatively pricy but look for sales.
- Crate and Barrel — cocktail glasses and barware. Relatively pricy but look for sales.
- CB2 — slightly more modern and (sometimes) more affordable than C&B.
- Pottery Barn — Good for classic, Americana, country-style glassware.
- Sur La Table — Good for classics, like Picardie Tumblers.
- Williams Sonoma — Classic, high end, Americana.
- Anthropologie — hit or miss for glassware, and quite expensive.
- Home Goods / TJ Maxx / Marshalls – Often have fantastic deals on glassware, modern jars.
- Etsy — vintage glassware, bottles, jars. Usually more expensive than thrift stores.
- Ebay — vintage glassware, bottles, jars. Prices can vary widely.
- World Market — Fantastic glassware, bottles.
- Amazon — Ugh. But also yeah, you can find everything.
BOUTIQUE RETAILERS (CURATED, SPECIAL PIECES. OFTEN PRICEY)
- Food52 — Beautiful glassware, barware. Expensive.
- Magnolia — Homey, rustic glassware and barware.
- Little King — A local (to us) store, with a fun online shop.
- Weck Jars — Our favorite modern jar.
- Malfatti Glass — One of our local glassmakers, creates beautiful off-kilter pieces.
BARWARE ARTISANS (WHERE THE PROFESSIONALS SHOP)
- Bull In China — Cocktail glasses and bar tools
- Amehla — Handmade glassware
- Viski — Glassware and accessories
- Urban Bar — Premium barware and glassware
We’ve made this drinkware guide into a free, handy PDF file you can download right here.