I had the pleasure of photographing a Jim Beam commercial advertising campaign. One of the key elements of this campaign was a series of portraits of featured bartenders in the Honolulu area. In this blog, I will explain the process behind photographing these portraits and how we worked together to create stunning images that accurately represented the Jim Beam brand.

The first step in this project was to understand the goals of the campaign and the message that Jim Beam was trying to convey through their images. We wanted to capture the essence of the 1920’s prohibition era and to showcase the bartenders with that style wardrobe. We also used props that could fit the photographs.

We wanted to find a setting that would be visually interesting and that would complement the branding look. We also needed to make sure that the location would be practical for setting up our equipment and getting the shots we needed.

Once we had selected the locations, we began working on the lighting and camera setup. We wanted the portraits to have a dark, warm feel, so we used artificial light and carefully positioned our modifiers. We also made sure to choose the right lenses and camera settings to capture the images in the highest possible quality.

The next step was working with the bartenders themselves. We wanted to create a comfortable and relaxed environment so that they would feel at ease in front of the camera. We encouraged them to take a shot, be themselves and have fun expressing their personalities in the portraits. We also worked closely with them to select the right clothing and accessories that would reflect the look we wanted.

During the shoot, we captured a range of poses and expressions, ensuring that we had a variety of images to choose from. We reviewed the photos as we went, making adjustments as needed to ensure that the images were perfect.

After the shoot, we carefully selected the best images and began the post-production process. The final result was a series of 1920’s prohibition styled portraits that accurately represented what the Jim Beam brand was looking for.

I love shooting projects like these because they can be very creative and fun.  Bartenders are also funny as hell so it was great to work with all of them. If you're interested in working with me on your own advertising campaign, don't hesitate to get in touch. I would be honored to help bring your vision to life.

Mike Vidales is a commercial, lifestyle, portrait and headshot photographer in Honolulu, Oahu. His style approach to creating an image is modern and clean.