Hey Joe, how do you keep the glass that clean? Lots of hand washing?
Yes, lots of hand washing!
First, I set up the shot, get the lighting (and staging) right, make sure the focus and DOF are there, then mark where the glass is.
I then clean the surface and polish the glass. I use these thicker blue paper towels that are designed more for use in car and mechanic shops (usually you can find them in the paint section of a hardware store) first, and then a lint free cloth towel next. Also, there is this stuff called "The Best Glass Cleaner In The World" that is designed for use on offset press plates; I use that for the glass cleaning fluid.
(You could probably also use lens cleaning fluid too.)
Occasionally, and especially if I am doing a bottle shot, I also break out a razor and Pro-Strength Goof Off for removing the (back) label and glue, if it is paper. If it is a painted label, then things get serious! Sulfuric acid painted on with a ferruleless brush, a razor and patience does the trick then.
All the while I am wearing white lint free gloves that are clean and free of grease.
Of course, some dust will fall onto the glass and set within the minute or so it takes to get the shot, but Photoshop works for that.
Lot of work for these kind of shots, and I am just amazed at the amount of dust in the air, it's crazy! For my interior work, most of my time in post is spent cleaning up color. For my still life work, color is so easy, but I could spend an hour cleaning up dust, especially if it is a dark image.
I think though it should start to pay off soon. I was making cold calls today, got a hold of an art buyer, and he loved that pour shot. He told me they just started working with a new beer client, and they would probably drool over the idea of their logo on this image.
