Old Elk - Creating flexible assets — beyond photos
ROLES
Retouching
| Photography
| Creative
| AI
CREDITS
Agnecy: Words From The Woods
Composite image using the Old Elk bottle asset
The Ask:
This project started with a simple request: shoot Old Elk’s full bottle lineup on black. The brand had been relying on a mismatched set of images from various shoots (some on white and all inconsistent in lighting and angle). They needed a clean, unified set of hero shots for all 15 bottles. Also, they wanted some extra shots: group shots for ads, some with the iconic elk head pourer, and glass of whiskey with a rocks/no rocks option… but they weren’t sure yet exactly how or where all those extras would be used.
The challenge? Making those decisions now would lock them into creative choices down the line. And waiting would mean adding another shoot later.
A group bottle composite
The Solution:
We proposed something more flexible: a modular system of layered bottle assets.
Instead of delivering static photos, we’d build fully layered bottle files with transparency in the glass, the pourer as an optional layer, and separate glass pours created the same way. That meant each bottle could be customized, combined, or composited later—with minimal additional retouching.
Yeah, it required more upfront setup and retouching. But it gave the team at Words From The Woods the freedom to make the best creative decisions later, when the usage was clear.
Composite showing alternative elk head pourer and a glass pour
How it worked:
We created a base bottle by compositing multiple shots together, dialing in highlights, shadows, labels, and every section of the bottle. That file included built-in transparency for the glass—so it could drop cleanly into dark backgrounds or layered groupings.
Each individual bottle was then shot using the same lighting and angle, capturing:
The true liquid color
The label versions, which had to be adjusted and aligned (since we only had off-the-shelf bottles with imperfect label placement)
Optional elk head pourer, as a layered asset that could be turned on/off as needed
Because the base bottle was already cleaned and retouched, this workflow actually saved time in cleanup (only one bottle needed heavy compositing) and the others slotted into the system.
The full set of images used to composite one variation
The Benefits:
Infinite combinations: Bottles with or without pourers, grouped however needed, next to a glass pour or not, etc.
Future-proofing: New labels can be dropped in easily (and were later, for a new Cigar Cut version release shortly after the main shoot)
Background variability: Bottles can be placed directly onto any solid dark background or composited into other scenes with minimal work
Creative flexibility: The agency didn’t have to commit to layout or usage decisions during the shoot—they could make those choices later, with finished assets in hand
The different bottle variations and extra pourer and box versions
More value:
A few months later when the new Island Blend Cigar Cut was to be released the label design was done and launch assets were being created, but the actual label hadn't been printed yet. We were able to use the vector art for the new label to retouch the existing Cigar Cut label and make a new high-res image for release that fit into the rest of the set perfectly, and ahead of launch.
1st - Vector art of the new label | 2nd- Old cigar cut label photo | 3rd - New Island Blend label retouched and on bottle
Bonus: Compositing an AI Backplate
Once the core system was built, we created a dramatic hero image of the Straight Rye Whiskey using a composite backplate generated in Midjourney. The AI-generated background gave us a fast way to visuals expanding the brands story. Also we were short on available Elk models.
With this system that also meant the other bottle version could easy be comped in place once the first composite was created.
See the before/after versions below, full image and close ups.
Before and after bottle composite into background created in Midjourney
Before and after close-up of the top of the Old Elk bottle
Before and after close-up of the bottom of the Old Elk bottle
The Conclusion:
This project started with a straightforward request—but with a little extra understanding of the problem and re-thinking the solution, it turned into a full image asset system. One that didn’t just solve the original problem, but also set the team up for flexibility, scalability, and unrestricted creative decision-making down the line.
