Bars and Cocktails

Cocktail served at Aqua Bar by Sivan Askayo for Anantara Siam in Bangkok, Thailand
Woman with a wine glass in Almanac Hotel, by Sivan Askayo Prague

When shooting bars and cocktails in hotels, you're trying to capture more than just the drink, you’re after the atmosphere. The way the light bounces off glass, the subtle movement of a bartender at work and any detail in the space, all help tell the story. Using a strobe is often the best way to highlight both the drink and the surrounding scene. It helps shape the light while keeping the setting rich and detailed. Small touches matter too. The way a garnish is placed, a napkin folded, even a menu left opened. 

Bar scene, woman drinking a cocktail at Almanac Hotel in Barcelona, Spain

These shoots often need more than just a camera and a strobe. You might work with a stylist and models to set up the tone. The goal is to show not just what the bar looks like, but what is so special about it and how it feels to sit there and enjoy the moment. 

Dark corner in a Bar with glass of wine
Male Model Bar Scene, Night Almanac Palais Vienna
a couple is drinking wine at the Chapel, The Jaffa Hotel, Marriott
Signature Cocktails, Bar, Almanac Vienna in
Anantara Siam, Luxury Hotel and Resort, Bangkok Thailand
Couple Bar Scene, Night Almanac Palais Vienna
Signature Cocktails, Bar, Almanac Vienna in
Cocktail served at Aqua Bar by Sivan Askayo for Anantara Siam
Anantara Siam, Luxury Hotel and Resort, by Sivan Askayo in Bangkok, Thailand
Bartender Nikos Gartzolakis preparing 'Love of Zero' sugnature drink, Baba Au Rum, Syntagma, Athens, Greece - Food and Drinks, Greece, June 2016 in
Bartender Nikos Gartzolakis preparing 'Love of Zero' sugnature drink, Baba Au Rum, Syntagma, Athens, Greece - Food and Drinks, Greece, June 2016 in
Anantara Siam, Luxury Hotel and Resort, Bangkok Thailand
Bar Scene, Almanac X Prague in
Bamboo Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, ASSE, Bangkok
Firefly Bar, Kempinski Bangkok
Anantara Siam, Luxury Hotel and Resort, Bangkok Thailand
Firefly Bar, Kempinski Bangkok
Firefly Bar, Kempinski Bangkok
a woman is drinking wine at The Chapel Bar, Jaffa Hotel, Marriott
Firefly Bar, Kempinski Bangkok
Firefly Bar, Kempinski Bangkok
Le Du Kaan, Chef Ton, Bangkok
July 2015, Lisbon, Lisbon Food Scene, Portugal, Virtouso Magazine, travel
Le Du Kaan, Chef Ton, Bangkok
Waitress serving drinks, looking back
Le Du Kaan, Chef Ton, Bangkok
15 fun things to do in New York, Campbell Apartment Bar, Grand Central, Lonely Planet, Manhattan, May 2014, York
Bamboo Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, ASSE, Bangkok
Colorful drinks on a tray
Brooklyn, Clover Club, Cobble Hill, Iconic Food, Lonely Planet shoot
Bartender, David Kempinski, Tel Aviv
Brooklyn, Clover Club, Cobble Hill, Iconic Food, Lonely Planet shoot
Nobu Bangkok, Restaurants, Thailand
June 2015, Manhattan, New York with Adi, summer
Nusara Restaurant, Chef Ton, Bangkok, Thailand
Nusara Restaurant, Chef Ton, Bangkok, Thailand
Nobu Bangkok, Restaurants, Thailand
Nusara Restaurant, Chef Ton, Bangkok, Thailand
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
15 fun things to do in New York, Lonely Planet, Manhattan, My York Portrait, Tao restaurat Downtown
Drinks and an vintage photo on a marble table
Bar lighting decoration
Cosmic Tides wuith gin, Red Frog Speakeasy Bar - Cocktails, Drinks, Lisbon, Portugal,
Bar Six Senses Kyoto
Drinks at SOHO House
The bar at Norman Hotel
Opium Bar, ASSE, Chef Pam, Bangkok
Stella Bar, Capella Bangkok, Luxury Hotel, 50Best Hotels, Bangkok
SOHO House drinks corner
Stella Bar, Capella Bangkok, Luxury Hotel, 50Best Hotels, Bangkok
Bar at The Leela, Udaipur, India
Bartender Orel Levy at work behind the bar, R48 Hotel, Tel Aviv, Travel +Leisure
Stella Bar, Capella Bangkok, Luxury Hotel, 50Best Hotels, Bangkok
ISRAEL, Tel Aviv, portrait of a bartender in Topolopompo restaurant - Asian Cuisine, Bartender, Black and Gold, Decor, Design, High Chairs, Indoors,
zonar's Restaurant - Athens, Food and Drinks, Greece, June 2016, Zonar's
Six Senses Kyoto in Japan
Chef Joao posing in Lisbon, Portugal
Cheese and Cognac at Hotel Montefiore
Colorful cocktail with red cherry
Bar tender smiling
Glass of red wine casting a shadow
A drink with ice in the shadows
Cocktails, Lepoque by Robuchon, Elkonin Hotel, Tel Aviv
Bar with two chairs
Bartender at Brettos Bar
Bottles decor in Brettos Bar
Photos tags: Athens, Baba Au Rum, Food and Drinks, Greece, June 2016, July 2015, Lisbon, Lisbon Food Scene, Portugal, Virtouso Magazine, travel, 15 fun things to do in New York, Campbell Apartment Bar, Grand Central, Lonely Planet, Manhattan, May 2014, New York, Brooklyn, Clover Club, Cobble Hill, Iconic Food, Lonely Planet shoot, June 2015, New York with Adi, summer, My New York Portrait, Tao restaurat Downtown, Cocktails, Cosmic Tides wuith gin, Drinks, Red Frog Speakeasy Bar, Asian Cuisine, Bartender, Black and Gold, Decor, Design, High Chairs, Indoors, Interior, Israel 2014, One Person, Portrait, Sivan Askayo, Tel Aviv, Tompolopompo Restaurant, food, Zonar's Restaurant
Photos locations: Vienna, Thailand, Bangkok, Greece, Athens, Prague, Japan, Portugal, Lisbon