Think you can't afford to hire a photographer for your gathering or event? Content is everything for a business to tell its story, so maybe you can't afford not to? It doesn't have to be a big deal or a large expense. I hire myself out for $75/hour and deliver a minimum of 25 images for each hour of shooting. That's basically a month's worth of instagram posts, or at least a few blog posts worth of content.
Owning and operating a winery has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember. It seems like such a romantic way to live, although from what I have witnessed, it takes a strong dedication and lots of patience, so it might have to wait for retirement. I still recall the Sideways Wine Tour we took over a decade ago, just after we got married. Exploring the restaurants and wineries around the Santa Ynez Valley and walking around in the film was a treat. We even stayed at the little Sideways Inn with the windmill, where Miles and Jack stayed in the movie (although I'm pretty sure when we stayed there it was called Holiday Inn). So while I wait for that dream to come to fruition, I'll just volunteer my time to go hang out in someone else's winery and take photos!
Last fall I had to pleasure of shooting the small, family owned Maury Island Winery. Even though this was technically the 'final crush' (last pick of the season) there were tons of grapes still ripening on the vine, along with acres of beautiful foliage to shoot, and happy volunteer pickers. I suppose technically I was 'working for wine,' as Bill and Jan were very generous with their bounty — a thank you for the extra labor. We got to sip on their 2017 Pinot Noir as volunteers hauled buckets of grapes to the grinder. I honestly don't think I've tasted a better Pinot Noir. I mean I'm biased, but I had thought you had to go to Oregon for that kind of quality. This small batch winery is putting out some award winning product and it's right down the street.
