ZEST Society Cocktail Photography Art Direction

Art direction, moodboard development, shooting management and styling direction for a cocktail photography session created for ZEST Society Kitchenbar.

For ZEST Society Kitchenbar, I developed and directed a visual language for a cocktail photography session focused on atmosphere, colour, light and ritual. The images were created to capture the venue as more than a place to drink, presenting each cocktail as part of a distinctive visual and sensory world.

I led the art direction from concept to production, including moodboard development, visual references, colour direction, prop and styling decisions, set composition, shooting management and styling direction on set.

The shoot was produced with a six-person team, with all visual decisions coordinated around a consistent photographic language.

The direction was built around strong contrast, sculptural shadows, saturated colour fields and cinematic lighting. Rather than relying on conventional cocktail photography, the session treated each drink as a character within a carefully composed scene.

The visual system explores several recurring themes: contrast, shadow, ritual, colour, atmosphere, form, reflection, texture and light. These themes shaped the composition of each image and created a collection that feels varied while remaining part of the same world.

Styling was used to create tension between the cocktails and their environments. Coloured surfaces, reflective trays, theatrical curtains, glassware, fruit, flowers and unexpected props were selected to add narrative and tactile depth to each scene.

The shoot was planned and managed as a collaborative production with a six-person team. I coordinated the creative direction on set, maintained consistency between the moodboard and the final compositions, and guided the styling decisions throughout the session.

The result is a cinematic cocktail photography series that gives ZEST Society a more memorable and ownable visual identity. The images can be used across social media, campaign communication, menu-related touchpoints and digital brand applications.