Step into Shell Royster’s silver universe, where martini glasses become spacecraft and chrome surfaces transform ordinary cocktails into otherworldly artifacts. With “Tini Time,” photographer Shell Royster transports viewers into a dazzling retro-futuristic realm where cocktails meet the space age. Drawing on 1960s space race aesthetics and the glamour of a golden era, the series reimagines classic drinks as icons of style and spectacle. Chrome surfaces, reflective fabrics, and bursts of color stage each glass like a character, evoking both sleek minimalism and extravagant baroque detail.
More than a technical exercise, “Tini Time” is a bold experiment in storytelling through texture, light, and perspective—an invitation to see a familiar ritual through an otherworldly lens. Departing radically from her traditional commercial work, Shell embraced experimental tilt-shift techniques and audacious perspectives, creating a visual manifesto that successfully caught the attention of liquor brands and editorial publications.
By: Shell Royster, Photographer
Project: “Tini Time” transports us to a retro-futuristic age as well as a golden era of beauty. This project served as a personal test to propose to some liquor brands, as well as to a few editorial publications.
Process & Approach: I began with simple sketches before hunting down monochromatic elements—reflective fabrics, mirrors, and chrome surfaces—creating a silver universe where the cocktail and its container could burst with isolated color. The sleek vodka bottle was reminiscent of the 1960s Space Race aesthetics, demanding a fitting stage. For the amaro shot, I opted for an opposite approach, crafting an extravagant setting, replete with bar accessories and dried flowers.
Though I initially adhered to my planned compositions, the shoot gradually took on its own momentum. The biggest challenge here was the drinks themselves, pouring, repouring, adding more ice, making more drinks, wiping up the spills, but I was determined to get the gesture right.
Creative Journey: My professional portfolio splits between commercial brightness and cinematic, editorial storytelling. This project offered escape from both worlds. Working alone—styling, arranging, and photographing—gave me a sense of pure creative experimentation. My drinks photography is a departure from the rest of my portfolio, as I am much more radical with perspective, playfulness, and lighting—I like using tilt-shift lenses and placing objects in the foreground to lead to the subject matter.
The final images capture exactly what I’d envisioned: a universe where shaken-not-stirred meets the space age, where chrome surfaces and reflective fabrics create the perfect backdrop for this vibrant cocktail, the glassware, and the packaged shot.
In my specific photography genre (food and beverage), I constantly experiment to foster creative growth. I regularly test new concepts, with and without a team, and regardless of whether they succeed or fail, the process of developing and experimenting is pure joy for me.
I’m an award-winning food, product, travel, and stills photographer based in Atlanta. I got my first camera in junior high school, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Throughout high school and college, I was the girl always snapping shots of people and places, and later in my formal training at the International Center of Photography in New York, I began to refine my technique and hone my eye. Today I remain zoomed in on a mission and driven by a passion—the art and magic of transforming experiences into powerful images. I bring more than a decade of professional experience to my editorial and commercial work. My range of clients includes national and regional magazines, agencies, and corporate clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small, scrappy artisans. I’m always eager to speak with anyone who understands and values the power of the image. If that’s you, let’s talk…
Select clients: National Geographic Traveller, Afar Magazine, Kraft, Oprah’s “Oh That’s Good” Food, Qantas Airlines, Terrain/URBN, Country Living Magazine, Veranda Magazine, Publix, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s, Schlotzky’s, Cinnabon, Sprouts, Uber Eats, Land O’ Lakes, HEB Stores, Edible Charleston, Italy Magazine, Charleston Magazine.
My work has been exhibited at The San Francisco Art Institute and Soho Gallery. I’m a member of Found Artists.
