Hitting the Beertography Wall
Zero Gravity’s ‘Madonna’ Double IPA meets my new studio.
They can’t always be amazingly composed, wildly relevant and clever photos can they? Learning to let go of my quest for the perfect shot and rediscover my love for the beer through the lens!
A few months ago, I really hit the wall with the whole “beertography” thing. The combination of drinking less, general malaise, obsession with perfection and the constant flow of great content from other Instagram posters forced me to take a step back from social media and taking pictures. Instead of being excited when I opened my fridge, there’d be a little sense of dread because I hadn’t found the perfect shot for beers that sat on the shelves. Beers that I purchased with the intention of enjoying right away, couldn’t be enjoyed because I hadn’t taken a picture yet. I can’t tell you how many beers passed their prime because of this mindset.
It’s social media in a nutshell though. Some people are obsessed with posting pictures that show them living their “best” lives. Vacation photos. Gorgeous food. Angelic babies. Not pictured? The crush of people looking to take the perfect photo at ideal vacation spot number 23. The pile of dishes, pots, pans and utensils in the sink. The explosion of bodily fluids that can’t possible be normal.
We don’t want to see that though. And that’s fine. What’s not fine is forgetting that all of this shit (methaphorical and otherwise) is happening on either side of that captured moment in time. That’s where I met my downfall. Instead of enjoying the moment, I manipulated it so it looked pretty through the lens. What isn’t pictured is the flat beer I drank because I kept using a chopstick to get the foam to look just right. Or the beers I didn’t buy because the label wasn’t interesting enough. And I’ll definitely never get back the time I wasted looking for the perfect spot for a picture and not simply enjoying the scenery.
I’m resolved to put this compulsion behind me as much as possible. Am I still going to take awesome pictures? Hell yeah. Is that quest going to stop me from enjoying a beer when I want to drink it even if I haven’t taken a picture of it? Hell no.
To ease this transition, I asked for a light box for Christmas! If I absolutely need to take a picture of something I’m drinking, I can set it up in under a minute, take a picture that doesn’t look like a blurry mess and be on my merry way. I’m not going to beat this overnight, so I figured this would be a decent solution.
Bring on the Beer
Few months of age on Madonna before I cracked it, but when it comes to Double IPAs, I’ve found they can hold up a touch longer than a single, even when they’re of the NEIPA persuasion. Orange marmalade, grapefruit candy, herbs, a glimmer of resin meet fresh baked bread and tinges of honey. Likely tasting sweeter than intended thanks to the extra time in the fridge, but a pleasant pithy citrus bitterness rounds everything out nicely. Virtually no booziness detected, even as it warmed up, so that 8.0% is well-hidden in a juicy little package. Picked up as a recommendation from a sales rep at work, and one I’d definitely pass along to all of you.
‘Madonna’ Specifics
Brewery : Zero Gravity Brewing
Location : Burlington, VT
Style : New England IPA
ABV : 8%
Notable Ingredients : Citra, Moteuka and El Dorado hops; Pilsner and American Wheat malt
Release Notes : Seasonal (Spring and Summer)
