Harvest is over, at last, and leaves are about to disappear from the vines. This is wine country at its most colorful and where better to see it than from above.
True Sonoma Coast
I have been shooting aerial photographs for almost 30 years, sometimes from fixed wing aircraft but preferably from helicopters in anything from a tiny, 2-seater Robinson R22 to a massive French army Allouette. A couple of years ago I persuaded a 747 pilot to take me on a few passes over the island of Kosrae in Micronesia for a story in Islands magazine. There were plenty of white knuckles and sweaty brows among the plane full of passengers on their way home from Guam who hadn’t a clue what was happening as we skimmed the water and mountains. Unfortunately the windows didn’t open but I got the shots.
Raymond Vineyards, Napa Valley
DeLoach Vineyards, Russian River
For the past week I have been flying over Napa and Sonoma under less dramatic circumstances to capture both wineries and vineyards before winter sets in. Nothing can beat a helicopter for aerial photography. It is maneuverable, fast when necessary but can almost come to a standstill in the air and can fly high or low with ease. I always fly with the doors off which can be both cold and scary but so far I haven’t lost any cameras!
Russian River, Sonoma County
True Sonoma Coast
The most difficult part of aerial vineyard photography is identifying vineyards. I had the great pleasure of flying over Sonoma with Dan Goldfield who knows the county’s vineyards as well as anyone and even Dan found it difficult.
Dan Goldfield and me
