Creating a set for the product photography of a new beer from Shepherd Neame called Bear Island turned out to be a bit of a sod. That is, a large piece of sub soil, a top soil and some sand.
The brief was to create a bear foot print and then use that as a setting for some of the product. It sounds simple enough but the final print would have to be deep enough to simulate the heaviness of a bear (I was really getting into the mindset of a bear at this point) yet capable of being shallow enough to see the product properly. After a few soil and sand mixing tests in my back garden, the larger complete set was created in trays mounted on trestle tables in the studio with the camera secured high above.
The darker subsoil was watered and then a lighter sandy layer added.
Once the bear print was scraped out, it revealed the darker layer below.
We shot a mixture of angles as well as as packshot versions on white of the cans and draught font.
There is a reason for name and why there is connection between Faversham and a bear. An island once sat within the grounds of the Brewery in Faversham Creek. Over the centuries much strange cargo landed here, including ‘one bear and his keeper’.
In terms of taste, Bear Island is a mixture of Cascade and Amarillo hops imported from the US combine with native British Boadicea hops to create a deep gold American Pale Ale. It’s available in draught from a number of Shepherd Neame pubs or by the can from their store and selected retailers: https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/bearisland