Episode 45

045 | Drink Photography: the power of hospitality as a service | Part 2/2 with Francesco Sapienza (NYC, USA)

In Episode 045, I continued the conversation with Francesco Sapienza from Episode 044. He disclosed some tips about Drinks Photography and unveiled the behind-the-scenes of working with some of the best bars and restaurants in NYC. It is also in video on Spotify and YouTube.


Time Stamps

0:00 Introduction

0:22 A Food Photographer's Red Flags

6:39 Creating The Photograph

10:34 The Role of Light in Sales

16:24 Ensuring a Follow Up

20:04 The Value of a Professional

27:20 Photographic Tricks

29:33 Difference Between Food & Drink Shots

32:40 Taking Shortcuts

35:48 Best Color For Liquid

40:17 Pragmatic vs Aspirational Imagery

44:50 The Professional as an Educator

55:00 Ending Remarks

57:09 Outro


About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Francesco Sapienza


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About the Podcast

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The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
Brands Are Built Bottom-up.

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About your host

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Chris Maffeo

With 20 years of experience working for some of the biggest drinks brands across 30+ markets, I've developed a unique understanding of how brands grow in today's market.
Now, I help drinks brands build sustainable growth through bottom-up demand creation.
My methodology focuses on how brand demand spreads - from initial venue adoption to international expansion.
I teach brands how to create, convert, and sustain demand across the three critical stages of growth: from one bottle to one case to one pallet.
My expertise lies in understanding how brands grow through genuine advocacy, from bar to bar, city to city, and building foundations that enable natural scaling.
Through consulting, training, and speaking engagements, I help brands:
• Build sustainable demand from the ground up
• Systematize their approach to building brands city by city
• Navigate the path from local success to international growth
• Develop strategies based on occasions rather than demographics