Not sure the room really warrants the grandiose title of ‘studio’. It’s small, barely enough room to walk around once the computer and desk plus prop shelving unit, small shooting table and back drop stand are in place. In reality it’s a second bedroom with a tiny window.

Concentrating on cocktail and wine still life images means I have a large collection of glassware, cocktail shakers and so on. Which doesn’t leave much room for different tables which I find are much required to keep the creativity alive.

Looking at the cocktail.collection Instagram feed might give the impression of many different tables but it is simply a collection of various wooden tops paired with false legs and draw fronts. Some tops are literally just two planks of wood nailed together. Even the draws for these tables are false with glued on handles.

Why the need for such a setup? Why not just use the plethora of backdrops designed for food photographers?

Well my style at the moment draws from the 16th/17th century old master style of art. These are practically all setup on tables. The opportunity of having different setups available, without resorting to the cost of buying and storing different tables, aids my creativity no end.

The central table the sets are built on is just 34” square.

The photos below show one such table setup with the resulting photograph showing the final result.