A brand in the process of building its foundations. Rowen is all about the rugged putter reaches of mountainous terrain north of Lake Sonoma. A massive ranch sits on the ridge just south of the Mendocino County line, and in prime placement sit plots of vineyards.

This project was all about the terrain, the wild, the endless expanses of skies and rolling hills, and the heights. Capturing altitude can often be difficult with the exception of being on an alpine slope. But here we utilized light to our advantage. The glow of the early morning light, and the streaks of light cutting through giant oaks at sunset helped to accentuate the movement of the hills.

Direction:

Key figures and their connection to the land, the communication necessary and trust in the vint i culture team who are given the task of making the drive up the mountain daily.

The vastness of rugged terrain and the connection of the wines to that power.

Color:

deep blues during day, drop of luminance and saturation. Bright yellows and rich oranges, reds shifted towards orange. Greens less luminance but remaining saturation, to match label colors. Texture and depth as focus.

This project was all about capturing transition. A new winemaker coming on board and a veteran coming up on retirement. Capturing the team, the learning process, the struggles of a harvest and the little details that make the difference.

Direction: capture the lives of a cellar worker in a small team, their connection to the finished product and the human connection to the land. Shooting the team members as they soak up as much knowledge from the outgoing winemaker in his last year. the highly technical aspects of the incoming winemaker learning the aspects of intuition a veteran with 20+ years of experience.

Color: orange and red as the main palate to match the soils of Lily Hill vineyard. Blues to feel light and soft if applicable. Composition using shadow over highlights.

A Sonoma County classic. There are only a few brands that are recognized by even those who don’t drink a lot of wine nationally and Rodney Strong is one of those few. This project was all about capturing the Alexander Valley AVA and Chalk Hill AVA, areas that Rodney Strong himself helped to pioneer as great winegrowing regions.

Direction: imagery captured to make you feel as if you are walking the vineyards yourself. Focus on creating layering in landscapes through shooting through or around vines to the focal point.

Color: rich and vibrant, with warmth as a key note. More classic in editing with primary colors as base, and consistent saturation from shadow to highlight when possible.

Alisa is a winemaker focused on producing wines in a way that is environmentally responsible. Creating wines from organically grown fruit from across the west coast, her goal is to change the way we make wine to mitigate the industri’s effects on the environment. As a flyfishing enthusiast, a paddleboarder, and all-around lover of the water, making wine takes her on to lakes, streams, rivers and seas. her brand is focused on that lover of the water and our nurturing of the land.

Direction: A connection to the water, focused on a camp-out in the Airstream that makes dozens of trips a year up and down the coast. Less about the wine, and more about a connection to what makes the wine possible, the fog, the water, and a connection to nature.

Color: rich oranges to match label design, desaturated blues, deep shadow, aqua shaded greens that pop

This brand is all about family, and art. A family with a long history in winemaking, and a deep connection to travel, painting, and photography. The wines are made from vineyards of friends, and the wines are made to be enjoyed around a table with kin.

Direction: capturing the focus on history and family.

Color: Warmth and soft contrast with deep shadow that fades out slowly, a much more classic film-stock style of coloring.

Modern, elegant, punchy. The name Faust comes from an old Germanic tale, a reflection of conflict and contradiction, a battle between purity and darkness. Nothing seems more applicable in today’s environment

Every element of this winery is of exquisite quality. The level of detail has been tuned to a remarkable level. So much complexity, and my goal was to find simplicity within that, to find elements that stood out that can be absorbed

Direction: soft and bright vs dark and moody. Certain elements to bring peace and others to feel edgy and textured.

Color: deep blues with dropped luminance, warm rich reds and browns, lively yet desaturated greens to highlight the soil and skin tones. Lots of blacks with shadows slightly pulled to a muted charcoal.

A brand building its foundations from scratch. A proving ground for varietals within the Dry Creek Valley, and a one on one tasting experience unrivaled. This project was all about capturing growth, and creation. Old vineyards being pulled, the soil being tended to, new vines beginning their lives. It was also about capturing a truly “home vineyard”, David, the winemaker and proprietor looks out his back windows over the land, and constantly walks the pathways through the vineyards. His eye always on next steps, and growing something special, while leaving room for experimentation. A true passion come to life, and a dream realized.

Direction: capture what it means to be home. An emphasis on the connection of personalities to land. Soft, bright and inviting. Winemaking as a pleasure as well as a job

Color: soft coloring within slightly overexposed imagery. blues and bright yellows, with a simple “rule of thirds” composition when possible

A winemaker who just couldn’t stay away. Stringer Cellars is all about a winemaker who left the industry, left the state to the cold north…and then couldn’t resist the urge to make wine. Through his years of experience in winemaking, his connections with vineyard owners and managers, and his passion to make excellent wines, Casey Stringer started producing world-class wines under his own name from the word go. Utilizing fruit from some of Napa and Sonoma’s vineyard plots, and classic techniques in the cellar that have for the most part been lost for the need of efficiency and automation, Casey touches each and every grape, each and every barrel, and it shows.

Direction: Capture Casey being Casey. The vineyards, the techniques, the need for perfection and detail oriented work.

Color: low contrast, rich oranges, soft greens.

Davis Bynum was a legend in the creation of the Russian River Valley as a dominant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producing region. He was a Pioneer. And then there is his protege. Greg Morthole worked as Davis’s right-hand man for years, and eventually took over as lead winemaker, and it’s no wonder why Davis wanted to keep him around. A conversation with Greg will leave you curious about the world around you. His knowledge of the soil under your feet, the history around you, the understanding of weather and its influence will make you look at the world a bit differently. My job was to capture that essence.

Direction: Capture Greg in his element, the stewardship of what was left by Davis, the personality he portrays and the connection to the vineyards.

Color: soft palate. low contrast, bright yellows and neutral greens.

Height, seclusion, EPIC. CONSTANT has long been known as one of the great producers of Bordeau varietals in Napa. High atop Diamond Mountain, CONSTANT is a reflection of its surroundings, and at the same time in some ways a contradiction to it. Rugged, rough, intensity meets with peace and crisp light.

Direction: Capture a small team among the heights, and what winemaking on the mountain feels like.

Color: Low contrast. Desaturated blues, soft yellows, and a cool tone. Crisp morning light as a highlight to richly saturated shadows.

One simple task, capture the mystery. The West Sonoma Coast AVA has so many personalities. But the mysterious nature that comes through on foggy mornings, or when the fog sweeps in many of the evenings in summer and fall, and the rugged feel of the outer reaches make it something to behold. The Camp Meeting Ridge VIneyard and Seaview vineyard were two incredible vineyards to capture. A 90-minute drive from the inland valleys, its a trek, and as you leave civilization the energy of the coast starts to take hold.

Direction: capture fog, capture solitude, capture the intensity of the place. “Otherworldly”

Color: Rich oranges and reds, crisp greens when applicable and deep shadow.