I think my wants and needs converge in that mug

Speaking of good positive beer blogging, Evan Rail has been on something of a tear over in Prague since the New Year began. I don't think that it is just his access to a pub culture and beers that I lack that makes it such good reading - it's those photos. Now I have fancied myself as a good beer photographer by times and certainly welcome the work of others like Knut who, as in this example, can convey much of the atmosphere of their experience though the lens.

But consider Evan's work. I think it is no secret that he is working with a good camera, something I am lacking, but look what he does with it. First, he has a way with short focus as with the photo above. The front of the stein with the inscription is in focus but the back of the lip is not. Next, he understands the importance of red. Red makes a photo or a painting come alive, it gives it depth by drawing the eye in. Look at the placement of reds in these photos. Now, consider how much of the light is natural. The flash is a curse to beer photography given all the fluid and glass and chrome that is associated with a good brew and a good pub. Look at his use of available light here and here. It places you in the scene. Last, look how he places us. Maybe it is due to learning through his work with professional photographers with The New York Times when he does his beer travel pieces like this one I wrote about including its gorgeous photo of a kölschkranz - the object of my unfulfilled desire for beer stuff, though I now have a dandy 400 ml kolsch glass. Whatever it is, would I have the confidence to capture this image? Hardly.

Why do I mention this? Well, from time to time I am mentioned or thanked as some sort of example of beer blogging. I am grateful for such remarks but if I was proudest of anything in writing all this, it is about the writing from a drinker's point of view - not the brewer, the journalist, the shopkeeper, the published author, the trade consultant or any other player in the industry. Don't get me wrong. These are all good and worthy jobs without which our enjoyment of beer would be greatly restricted (but never extinguished due to the glories of home brewing and, for the truly adventurous, gardening) but for me it all comes back to the personal experience and the best beer photography places you within that experience of another better than any other medium. Evan's images, it should go without saying given the above, are consistently among my favorites - whether at his blog, with his newspaper articles or in his book - as they open his world to me.