Having attempted a similar shot yesterday, (I was trying to document some photo gear with a white backdrop and an on camera flash), I can appreciate how hard it is to do this sort of image.
Mine came out so bad I would not dare show it here, but yours looks fine to my untutored eyes.
Who would have thought to use a polarizer? To cut reflections I bet.
Whenever there is glass involved I use the polarizer to try to control the reflections a bit, the table I shoot on is actually a glass table, often use it without the white paper.
It's a pretty table that has a glass sheet but wood underneath, you can see it in these pictures:
Nicely done. The only time I need to do this stuff is when I am selling gear or preparing a how to do it thing for my web page. Always nice to have a more professional look.
The only light I own is a flash so that is a limitation. But I could use your examples how they ought to look.
I quite like the milk shot. The yellow cast makes it look like yummy cream. You might consider a compo with the glass slightly closer to the camera. Might also possibly be very slightly better if the bubbles settle. Another nit, you might retouch a couple of places on the ridge on the neck.
Another possibility to consider, make a duplicate layer and use multiply bend mode at perhaps 30% opacity:
Here's a new one, trying pure black background now. Not 100% happy with it, the reflections (on the bottle itself) are not what I'm looking for. The "glass" reflection was added in Photoshop.
I have 2 speedlights and 2 umbrellas so not a lot of ways to "direct" light.
Straight record shot look. A bit two dimensional and not too interesting. What's the intended use for the image. Is it for a product catalog or for advertising? If advertising, it probably would be better to make the product more inviting.
AuntiPode wrote:
Straight record shot look. A bit two dimensional and not too interesting. What's the intended use for the image. Is it for a product catalog or for advertising? If advertising, it probably would be better to make the product more inviting.
Good point. This was lighting practice. No real shoot.
Intended use is advertising, a more interesting angle would indeed be better.
