The Barley to Barrel Program

John, a friend of mine, asked me to assist him with taking photos (and some video) for a program he and two other friends created. Since they were just starting up, they were in need of professional assets in order to promote themselves.

Their program is Barley to Barrel is reviving the craft brewery industry in Milwaukee. Basically, it's a 10 week brewery incubator. Each week the class learns about a specific topic on how to launch a brewery – everything from brewing, building a business, label design, finding investors, field work, and distribution. These students aren't just your average beer geeks either, the majority of them are starting their own breweries within the next 12-24 months! 

I am glad to have agreed and spent nearly every Tuesday with this great program. Even though I was paying attention to new shots/angles, I was learning about the industry right along with everyone.

Since I was around each week, the students started to warm up to the camera (and me). We had a blast hanging out, learning together, drinking awesome beers (hello Vanilla Black Ale!), and getting some great photos.

These guys pushed my limits as well with mixed lighting and rotating locations – thankfully I was up to the challenge. I am proud of the work we did!

The photos have also gained local traction. You can find them on:

88Nine Radio Milwaukee
The Barley to Barrel Webpage and Blog
The Shepherd Express