By Michelle Chaplow
One of the most iconic luxury hotel images is a chilled bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.
A bottle of bubbly will inevitably be featured on almost every upscale hotel’s shot list and is extremely attractive to viewers to capture an indulgent, celebratory moment.
The frosted metal bucket can appear next to a filled bathtub for the ultimate double-bubble indulgence; as a welcome drink to demonstrate the impeccable first impressions offered upon arrival at the establishment; for celebrating at a wedding reception; being enjoyed at a garden party with strawberries. Champagne, at the optimum temperature ready to be poured, offers endless possibilities to enhance any photo shot, lending it that premium ambiance.
Setting the scene for luxury: champagne in the Bridal Suite at Cashel Palace Hotel, Tipperary, Ireland.
The ultimate romantic gesture: chilled champagne and a fresh rose in the Bridal Suite at Cashel Palace Hotel in Ireland.
Photography represents the dream
The above images were professionally styled and photographed as part of a commissioned photo shoot. They show exactly how this shot should appear. However to see examples of the exact opposite, do a Google image search for “Champagne buckets in luxury hotels” and examine the resulting images carefully. Before long you will come across a faux pas where a champagne bottle has been included with no condensation on the bucket or the bottle, or on the bucket but not the bottle, or vice versa. The dream is shattered. Room-temperature fizz? No thanks.
Good hotel photography will seduce the guest with an authentic image. Instead of an appealing chilled glass of premium sparkling wine, the lack of condensation changes what we perceive as a “real photo” into a staged photo, and the viewer – a potential guest – will feel let down. Guests want the the full-on visual seduction, and in this case the scene has to include the fine film of water droplets in order to be authentic.
This image looks unconvincing without condensation – no one wants warm champagne!
To achieve a shot which features both the bottle and the ice bucket with condensation can be a major challenge, especially in areas of high altitude. This type of crucial detail sorts the conscientious, meticulous hospitaliy photographers from those who prefer not go that extra mile to achieve the perfect shot. A the fake photo will kill the dream.
Note to hotel marketeers and art directors. When your hotel is commissioning a luxury hotel photographer, check out their ice bucket photography – it´s a good benchmark.
So what is condensation?
According to Wikipedia, “Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gas into liquid, and is the reverse of evaporation”. The gas, in this case, is water vapour, and the liquid is water droplets, and this change usually happens when the vapour cools.
When you have a cold surface like a metal bucket filled with ice, the ice bucket cools the air next to it, and if there is plenty of water vapour in the air, then water droplets condense and lie on the ice bucket. If however, there is no water vapour present in the air, then condensation does not occur and no water droplets form on the bucket.
Condensation on an ice bucket
The climate factor
The moist air in the tropics has a high percentage of water vapour. This image which I shot at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok was easy to obtain in the Thai capital, where the climate offers both heat and humidity. Just look at that condensation!
Bubbles at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Just look at those water droplets!
In places such as deserts and mountains, on the other hand, the dry air holds very little water vapour. On a photoshoot at a mountain spa resort in Switzerland, when photographing an ice bucket in a bathroom – a photo that gave me the idea for this blog post – we couldn’t get any condensation as the air was too dry.
We turned the hot shower on full, and closed all the doors and windows, thereby introducing more water vapour into the air. After 10 minutes with the hot water running, we were ready to go – everyone was very hot and sticky, and a few hairstyles were ruined, but the shot was perfect!
Working with an artistic ice bucket at La Val Bergspa Hotel in the Swiss Alps.
A Hospitality Photographer’s tips and practicalities when shooting Champagne in an ice bucket
Geographical location
Think about the geo-location of your hotel shoot: some countries like Spain – especially Catalonia, the north-eastern region where Barcelona is located – will prefer to use their own locally-produced Cava to traditional French Champagne; similarly many German hotels elect for their own sparkling wines. For the French, obviously, nothing else but the genuine article.
The brand
What type of champagne (or other fizz) you use depends on the specific market that the hotel is aiming for, or would like to capture – everything from Moët y Chandon to a vintage Dom Perignon. Some hotels will want to promote a their own exclsive brand, while others will prefer a non-identifiable, generic bottle. This is easier said than done, as distinctive characteristic shapes and design can define brands, even if the label isn’t showing.
Champagne at the Peninsula Bangkok Hotel
The ice bucket design
Aplethora of different shapes and sizes are available, from plain to decorated, straight to curved, classic to modern. Coordinate with the style of the hotel, make sure that the stylist doesn’t get carried away, and keep the dream real.
The ice
The ice must be either crushed or in perfectly formed shapes – melted ice, or a mix of the two, will not work in luxury hotel photography. If the ice starts to melt, start again – ideally have a spare bucket ready.
To pop or not to pop the cork?
Some hotels will easily write off a bottle of champagne for a photo shoot; others will want to resell it and so will be reluctant to remove the cork. Once a bottle has been inserted into the ice bucket, the label will be soaked and can be ruined too, so the hotel needs to bear this in mind.
The ice bucket style
There are a plethora of different shapes and sizes available, from plain to decorated, straight to curved, classic to modern. Coordinate with the style of the hotel, make sure that the stylist doesn’t get carried away, and keep the dream real.
“Take me there”
Shoot the scene in the most appealing way possible – remember the guest must be able to imagine that they are present, in the photo, being served a delicious glass of chilled bubbly.
Champagne room service at the Boutique XV Beacon Hotel in Boston. Even the tea towel is beautifully arranged..
So as you can see, there is a lot more to shooting a bottle of chilled champagne in its ice bucket than meets the eye. But with a little planning and preparation, you can get a wonderful shot which will enhance the hotel’s image and tempt the viewer to come and enjoy a glass of fizz in those beautiful, elegant surroundings.
Cheers!