Instagram Post of The Month - FEBRUARY

Starting this February 2024, we will do a deep dive into 1 Instagram post from our account this past month, in hopes of teaching you and sharing some interesting stories. This month we’re going to look at the post from February 7th, a collaboration with Hex 1847 Cider for their Cupid’s Bow campaign. Hex 1847 Cider is a local brewer in Halton Hills, ON, that I have had the pleasure of working with on countless occasions. 

1/160sec at f4.0, ISO 1250, 85mm

Every photo starts with an idea, and this one was inspired by the timeless nature of Valentine’s Day. We wanted to tell a story of a lover writing a sentimental letter to a sweetheart while enjoying the crisp taste of Cupid’s Bow. Valentine's Day dates back to the Middle Ages, so we attempted to keep the props around the product in a setting as old as the holiday itself. Now obviously we do not have any props from the Middle Ages lying around, but did our best to use items that are harder to place an age on. We got paper and stained it with tea to achieve an older parchment look for our letter, acquired plain ribbon to wrap up the letter, and even found an ink pen that's over a century old. To top it off, we have a beeswax candle in the back to add to the ambiance of writing a love letter by candlelight (and the obvious lack of electricity that we are implying). 

On the technical side of things, this photo was shot on the Nikon Z7 with a Sigma 85mm f1.4 ART lens. When shooting cider, this 85mm is the lens of choice since it delivers incredibly sharp photos and has very smooth blurring when shooting wide open. The photo was lit with two lights and a reflector. An Aputure RGB light behind the bottle on a 45-degree angle to light up the bottle, a second light on the right side to soften the shadows, and a reflector in front to bounce some light back onto the label of the bottle. On either side of the bottle are white fill cards to avoid reflections on the glass bottle. The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop. 

Ultimately, the photo gives off the exact vibes we were looking for. Hex Cider is rooted in keeping things simple and rustic, and this photo reflects both their company branding and the unique qualities of their Valentine's Day-themed cider. We hope you enjoyed the first Post of the Month and learned a thing or two about our process.