Achaval-Ferrer | Mendoza | Pristine Terroir
Commercial Advertising Wine Photography
Nailing It: In Part 1 I talked a bit about some of the technical difficulties and how to overcome them in photographing red wine bottles in a studio set up for advertising. When you need to set up a mini on site studio in Los Angeles, it important to think about what gear you’ll need to bring. Basically everything and then some. I can’t stress enough how important it is to bring back up for your back up gear and scrims and extra light stands and extension cords, gaffing tape, gels and more. Thing is when you have you client, their staff, an advertising agency, and art director and a deadline for print and advertising {which is typically yesterday} there’s allot of your client’s money on the line. Part of my job as photographer is to solve problems on the spot, make it look easy, have everything at my finger tips {extra gear} and nail the images. For my client, there’s allot of pre-planning, day of planning, resources and money that have gone into the shoot. Ignited did an amazing job with the layout.
Client First – Always: To secure my images on all shoots I always shoot with a dual card slot camera with two cards {shooting RAW to both cards}: a CF card in one slot and a SD card in the other. After the shoot, back at the studio, one card gets downloaded and backed up to three drives. One drive comes home with me and the other card comes home with me too. Call me paranoid, but I’m extremely careful with my client’s digital assets. As discussed in Part 1, minimizing extraneous reflections are key. For the Achaval campaign, the main light bank for the studio shots were switched to camera left. Something that is often overlooked is attitude. Always keep a positive attitude on the job, the tone of emails and on the phone. I do everything I can to make sure my client is totally taken care of before the shoot, on the day of the shoot and after the shoot. Turn around time is a matter of days. Not weeks. Follow up with a thank you not and a gift to show you appreciate them. People like to be treated special. Everyone has day to day pressures and doing something kind makes a better day for them. Plus in todays connected world there is an abundant choice of who to work with. The pool of photographers is very, very deep. So what are you going to do to make you stand out from the crowd and make them remember you?
The Mood and Tone of the Campaign: The design team at Ignited wanted a visceral, lifestyle and more real approach to Achaval which is a high end wine, so we photographed allot in natural light at a great little Italian restaurant in Lindero Canyon. The mood boards used a low key approach with marble, wood and organic earthy tones. Ignited’s layout and graphics impart elegance and style to campaign. The color scheme of the restaurant was perfect for the shoot. The hardest part was grading the color to match the color temperature of the studio session. The labels had to match and in the natural light situation, the product is prone to color contamination. Plus the color cast of shade is blue which introduces a second variable. Shooting RAW gives more latitude for the final color grading.
What Clients Are Saying
Real Client Experiences
From wine photography projects
“Marc has a unique vision that pairs perfectly with our aesthetic. He put together a perfect blend of portraits of our team, our vineyards during harvest, and our crush process.”
Molly Tillman
Alta Colina Winery, Paso Robles
“We commissioned Marc to photograph an advertising campaign for our wines for worldwide distribution. His attention to details is second to none. The campaign is hugely successful for our Mendoza, Finca, Estates, and Quimera tiers of wine.”
Achaval-Ferrer
Mendoza, Argentina
“Marc’s work on the Guarachi Family Wines campaign was nothing short of exceptional. His ability to translate the elegance and exclusivity of our Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon into breathtaking visuals was impressive. Every shot reflected his deep understanding of luxury branding and his skill in capturing the unique allure of Napa Valley. His contribution was pivotal in conveying the premium nature of our products with unparalleled style.”
Alex Guarachi
Guarachi Family of Wines, Napa Valley
Marc has photographed for Alta Colina, Herman Story Wines, Brecon Estate and Linne Calodo Cellars in Paso Robles, Achaval-Ferrer in Mendoza, Argentina, and TGIC Wine Importers in Los Angeles, with work published in Wine Spectator.
Areas Served
Marc Weisberg Photography serves wineries and wine brands throughout California’s wine regions, including Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, the Central Coast, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County, and beyond. Studio and on-location photography services available nationwide.
Orange County · Los Angeles · Southern California
Food and Wine Photography for Discerning Brands
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Commercial Photography · Food & Wine Photography · About Marc · Get a Quote
Marc Weisberg is an award-winning commercial photographer and food and wine photography specialist based in Orange County, California. With over 26 years of experience, Marc’s commercial work has been published in Wine Spectator, Food & Wine magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and over a dozen books on photography. Trusted by global brands throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Learn more about Marc.
