This incredibly well thought out and carefully executed shot is an awesome lesson in not only designing an intriguing product photography shot that tells the right story, but also in bringing it to fruition. Check out this step-by-step video that walks you through the entire process.
This excellent tutorial comes to you from Karl Taylor. Admittedly, he has a lot of expensive Broncolor gear, but the principles and thought process he discusses are priceless and one could certainly replicate a lot of this look with cheaper lights; product photographers often prefer Broncolor because of the color consistency their lights offer, which is likely why his studio is full of them. Anyway, I particularly appreciated his ability to imagine the shot in all its glorious detail, then translate that abstract thought to practical, technical implementation, demonstrating extremely precise control of his lighting and a very multifaceted approach to creating the image, resulting in a final product that shows a lot more character than a normal high-key shot with a plain background. I personally found the final image a lot more interesting as a photographer and a lot more enticing as a lover of red wine. Give it a watch and perhaps try it out for yourself!
Really enjoy Karl's tuition. He is a still life master. Although I find myself just wanting to go out and buy some Broncolor kit each time I watch.
Lot's of Broncolor gear, yup, unlike most of us Karl shoots for big brands, from watches to champoo bottles. He's like the dude who made me photograph better back in 2009, when he came up with most of his shooting videos.
To achieve most of what he does, yes you'll need some extra expensive gear, but the basics are there, just like in this tutorial :)