Blue Bottle Coffee - Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
01.2016
note: since remodeled
Note: These images are from visits in 2016, prior to Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s 2020 Renovation which gave the space it’s current lighter look.
Here are my favorite images from collection, but among the full set I found the opportunity to talk on a few ideas on how to refine your images, which we’ll get into afterward.
Here’s what’s to come:
Concept 2: Espresso Image Evolution
Concept 3: Open it up
Concept 4: Careful with that Ultrawide
Concept 5: Review your old work, share what you know.
Concept 1: Cookie Light
Here we have two photos of a dark brown cookie, maybe chocolate or a gingersnap, served up in a coffee filter. In photo 1, it was a basic tabletop shot, on a table near a window. The color of the cookie is probably more true to life than photo 2, but, the light in 2 jumps out to me so much more. I love the way the light carves up the crags and makes the sugar sparkle. There’s significantly more depth and texture, which suddenly called to mind an asteroid that your favorite space faring sci-fi ship might visit.
Concept 2: Espresso Image Evolution
I usually prefer to get a coffee photo when the drink is fresh from the bar, but in this instance indulging in the first sip was the priority. I was there with some friends, and perhaps this shot was one of theirs. First we set it next to the sparkling water that came along side it, but then tried it out with this cookie. They’re pretty basic, so a different composition or change of scene is the right move.
Ah, yeah, hard, direct morning light. A favorite of mine to go with a cup of coffee or a breakfast dish. In the left image I found a stool outside in front of the shop to place the espresso on. This might have been a different shot than the one in the previous photos. Memories are fuzzy. While a perfectly full cup would look nice, I actually like the residue showing a few sips have been enjoyed. It is not longer prefect and pristine, but has some life. Fortunately there is still abundant creme to bring color to the cup. The second shot is on a bench, and I was intentional about lining the cup handle up vertically, but what would have really taken it up a notch would have been to get the spoon to a perfect 90º, and to move the cup over 1cm to the left so the handle lined up exactly with the gap in the wood, since it is almost exactly the same size. A little photoshopping could make both of those things a reality now, but that’s a level of effort better put into the real life composition.
I had a funny thought that I should carry a couple of really beautiful tiny spoons to use as props instead of these simple flat ones I often encounter. But, showing the spoon they gave me is more truthful to the experience, so proping like that might set unfair expectations.
Finally, I brought the camera down to some lower, longer shots 45º and lower. There are things I really love about both of these, and they are my favorite from the set. The hard line that drops into shadow, the leading lines of the bench, the bright sunlight creating a glow on the white ceramic, the deep dark brown contrast of the espresso. I like the lower angle of the first shot, but the little peak into the cup on the right is a little more sultry, and the glow in the cup and saucer is so much stronger. So I think I’m going to declare the right one my favorite, which is funny because before I wrote this line, the left image was the featured image for this post.
I wonder now if the image might have been improved by moving the little spoon off the saucer onto the bench, and adding back that little glass of seltzer to sparkle in the sunlight. A few little dribbles of coffee could trail off from the spoon to add some life and imperfection.
I used to never, or at least very rarely, use the spoon, and it wasn’t until very recently that I learned (from James Hoffman), that it’s meant to stir the espresso so it distributes the crema evenly so you get a little in every sip.
Concept 3: Open it up
Here’s a set of photos that I feel fell pretty flat, and some ideas on how similar images could be improved:
I love a nice bar of single origin chocolate, and Dick Taylor always delivers. I also love the packaging design, so whenever I get a bar I like to take a photo. I probably didn’t want to open this one, which is why we’ve just got 3 quick compositions with it unopened. But, I could have created a more compelling photo by opening it up and having some of the chocolate bar in the scene. A different angle and light could also do a lot to add some interest here, even if you still didn’t want to open up your bar.
Concept 4: Careful with that Ultrawide
When you first get an ultra-wide (under 24mm full frame), what do you do but rack it all the way out and go nuts?
And while it’s fun to see just how much you can fit in the frame, the more you add to the frame, the harder it is to make sense of it all. These do effectively show the space to someone who’s never seen it before, so on that hand the accomplish their goal, but as beautiful images, they need a bit more focus and curation to be stellar. Try picking out a composition and waiting for people to be in the right spots to make a pleasing scene. Envision how you might like for it to be and wait for the pieces to fall into place.
Concept 5: Review your old work, share what you know.
Look back at the images you made years ago, and you’ll find a mix of things you really like and are proud of, images that are sentimental, and most likely, even hopefully, a lot of stuff that makes you cringe. This is actually a good sign, showing you just how far you’ve come and how much you learn. As I look at these images, I see so many things I would do differently today, and having those insights shows me that I have something to share, and some guidance to offer to someone just getting started, or just earlier in their journey. It’s easy to think “what do I have to share” when you’re not consciously aware of just how much you know and how much experience you have, and how valuable that is to someone very eager to learn and grow.
Photography is more accessible now that it ever has been, with almost everyone in the modern world having a decent to excellent camera in their pocket at all times. We all love to take our own pictures to document our unique lives, and a lot of people appreciate being able to be just a little bit better at it, even if they never want to make a career out of it. If you’re going to be making the images anyway, might as well be a little better at it - or at least I imagine those are the people I would attract. No one who doesn’t care about photography is going to be spending any time on my content, so I can safely say those who do are quite interested. And it’s the same for you if you have something to say and something to share, and you have to be doing the saying and sharing to find out what your own message is.