Thirst Quenching Capture with Stewart Wood

Words and Photos by Stewart Wood, A Platypod Pro
Edited by Eryka Bagwell

"When Platypod invited me to participate in their food photography challenge, my first thought was, 'What should I photograph?' As a macro photographer, I knew this project would take me a bit out of my comfort zone. To keep things focused, I set a few ground rules: stay on a low budget, make no new gear purchases, and work only with the equipment I already had—which, luckily, is primarily for macro photography. As it turns out, macro gear can be quite effective for food and product photography, which gave me a great starting point."

"I decided to capture an iconic image featuring a small, classic glass bottle of Coca-Cola. My goal was to create a striking, backlit shot of the bottle against a colored background for a dramatic effect."

Setting Up the Scene
"The first step was finding the right Coke bottle. A quick trip to Tesco, and I had my subject in hand. Next, I needed a backdrop. I chose black and red paper from a local shop and settled on red to complement the iconic color of the Coca-Cola brand."

"To set up the background, I used a Platypod eXtreme paired with a Platypod Elbow and a Platypod Mini Super Clamp to hold the paper in place, mimicking a seamless portrait studio setup. This setup helped keep the focus on the bottle, creating a clean, professional look."

Lighting the Bottle
"For ambient lighting, I positioned two Soonwell MT1 LED strip lights—one on each side of the bottle—to add a subtle, even glow across the scene. Then, for a more focused highlight on the front of the bottle, I attached a Godox MF12 flash to the top of the left LED light using a Platypod Elbow, setting it to a low power to avoid overpowering the image."

"To achieve a dynamic backlight effect, I inserted another MF12 flash through the paper backdrop and held it in place with another Platypod eXtreme. To blend with the red paper, I fitted this flash with a red gel, creating a cohesive and intense color scheme reflective of the Coca-Cola brand."

Adding the Final Touches
"To introduce an element of movement and texture, I used a Nano Face Mist Sprayer from Amazon, a tool I often use for creating water droplets in macro photography. This sprayer added a subtle, misty effect that gave the photo a fresh, frosty look."

"For the camera setup, I used a Canon EOS R paired with a Laowa 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, triggering the Godox MF12 flashes with a Godox trigger. In a playful nod to my macro photography specialty, I added one of my pet jumping spiders on top of the bottle—an unexpected detail that adds personality and a bit of humor to the final shot."

Post-Processing
"The final stage was a light retouch in Adobe Photoshop, where I boosted the colors and contrast to make the image pop while removing minor distractions to maintain the clean, polished look I wanted."

Conclusion
"This project was both a challenge and a delight. Experimenting with lighting techniques and creative effects took me outside my usual comfort zone, but I am thrilled with the result. The iconic Coca-Cola bottle, enhanced by rich color, dramatic lighting, and a touch of whimsy, turned out to be a striking image that beautifully captures the spirit of the brand. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!"

Be sure to visit Stewart's website to view more of his incredibly captivating artwork by clicking here. Another great video which shows some of Stewart's favorite Macro gear can be found on his YouTube Channel (and also by clicking here) where you'll find tips and tricks about Macro and how to capture these fascinating subjects.

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