shutter to think

Trousseau for the NYT

This assignment was back in September and the portrait was a bit of a fail in terms of the light and execution...Hot, bright light all day and although I tried to set the pictures up much later in the day, the sun was a-blazing. But I brought my film camera with me and managed to photograph a nice portrait of Chilean vineyard owner, Bernie Luchsinger.

If you get a chance to look this wine up, its well worth the effort to find it. Its delicious. Winemakers, Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts also make a very tasty rose. I really wish I had a few bottles with me now in Brazil, since this country is lacking in reasonably priced delicious wine. Read the article here: One Grape to Reimagine California Wine.

 

In the vineyards for The Bay Citizen / New York Times

Last week I found myself back in the vineyards for an assignment about vineyard workers. I had forgotten how beautiful it is up there and how i miss working in this area, particularly doing stories around the migrant population and winemaking.

I was up real early to beat the approaching rain storm that would have cancelled any work that morning. Luckily it was only sprinkling and the storm gave me a an hour and half before it began to dump big drops of rain.

To read the column, click here:

Napa takes Care of Migrant Workers

US immigration policy has become so complicated and upside down that politicians just can't figure out a more efficient system to allow migrants from Central America and Mexico work legally in the U.S. Although there is a work visa, H2A, the red tape and paper work make it very daunting and nearly impossible for any company to provide visas for their workers.

Many migrant workers would tell you simply that they would much rather work legally, although most from the Napa Valley pay income tax, and have a safer journey from Mexico then the dangerous crossing that they have been doing for decades. Many Americans complain that they take away jobs from citizens, but many of those same people refuse to work these jobs the migrants do. It is a complicated and emotional issue for both sides, but the Napa Valley has figured out a way to make it work for them and the multi-million dollar wine industry.

Coppola Winery for Smart Money

Here's some recent work for Smart Money magazine in last month's issue. And probably one of my favorite pictures from Coppola's Winery is the very one they lead with in the article. To read the story: Wine Country Goes Wild. Or pick up a copy!

SF Chronicle: wine country clip

healdsburg, ca - the lede image in the Wine Country section of the San Francisco Chronicle (not the bottom two).

a little kung fu in your step.

"my eyes are like this because i eat rice, and your eyes are like that because you eat potatooo!" a quote from my friend Fiona when a young woman joked with her during her travels last year...i can't remember where. but thought it was just too cute. rice wine is the beverage of choice for many youngsters at the khmer new year in cambodia. ive never tried, i don't think i could, it smells awful. but the bottle on the left really cracked me up, and thought to make sure that if and when i try rice wine, it would the one from the right, the non-descript one with a picture of a root.

 

foggy vineyard

The trellises in this vineyard look like crosses to me, particularly because of the dense foggy morning on Howell Mountain, in Angwin, Ca.

 

Destination: Napa Valley for the SF Chronicle

Recent assignment for the SF Chronicle brought me to a beautiful property under the Palisades in Calistoga, Ca. Here's a clip and a couple outtakes.

Assignment: winemaking in Lake County, Ca for the SF Chronicle

Story on Lake County winemaking ran on Sunday for the SF Chronicle. Here's a clip from my assignment, and below, a few outtakes.

 

the places i go....

Today I had an assignment to photograph vineyards of Lake County, Ca.. I forget how lucky I am to see such amazing landscape that the everyday person cannot. I bring back images from assignments that show the landscape of some beautiful private vineyard properties throughout the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Today, in Clear Lake, one of most spectacular geographical views I've seen in wine country will actually be open to the public later this spring (details to come with pictures). The land sits about the Anderson Marsh, with views of snow-capped mountains in the background, as you stand among sprouting vines. Sorry, can't show those pictures to you today, as I have to wait til publication, but here's a teaser! And in newspaper lingo, a teaser is just what it is, its the little picture at the top of the front page that tells you whats inside. So this is my teaser, an outtake.

Hyphen Magazine #19 - feature

Get your lastest issue of the volunteer-run Hyphan magazine, which features a story on Asian-American winemakers, such as Kenny Likitprakong, winemaker in Northern California. I spent the early part of the day, with writer Pia Sarkar, photographing Kenny on the first day of harvest.

night harvest

I photographed night harvest for wine grapes last night at Ceja Vineyards, one of the first Mexican-American wineries in the country. Harvest happens very quickly...and with little light, it made photographing harvest a little challenging. I wanted to shoot with available light to get the feel of what its like to work in the dark or with unnatural lighting.

 

 

  

outtakes

some pictures in my outtakes from recent assignments:

Belen and Dalia

I photographed cousins Belen and Dalia, of Ceja Vineyards, for a lifestyle stock shoot....we started off a little late, after a glass of Ceja Rose...yum. then into the vineyards for a little wacky fun. Surprisingly, and I know, I am surprised, but it was such a beautiful evening along the Napa River (yep, i just said that). While everyone knows I have a big heart for the City, every now and then, I am sweetly surprised at the natural beauty of the Napa Valley.

grape leaves

grape leaves from the Ceja Vineyards -

wine auction fundraiser

Click on the link to see my pictures from the auction. $10.3 mil was raised for 47 non-profits in the napa valley.

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/v2inc/mm/ss/080612auction/