How to Light Beer: A Photographer’s Guide to Working with Cans, Bottles, and Pours

Introduction

Approximately 15,000 breweries exist in the world—2,000 in the United States alone—and they are producing more than 56,000 different types of beer. That is a lot of a truly wonderful thing. We love beer. We love the way it looks, the way it smells, the way it tastes, and within moderation, the way it makes us feel. We love the way the bubbles dance as the head just crests the top of the glass. When it comes right down to it, what’s not to like?

We also like photographing beer—and with so many breweries around, and new ones popping up every day, there is ample opportunity to do so. There are so many different types of beer, with wildly ...