It's been a while.
Tending to my website, telling visual stories, finding time and the ambition to get it all up and moving again hasn't been easy.
But with a New Year comes new goals, new routines, and most of all a renewed sense of purpose. As the days get longer, and the sun continues it's ascension towards summer a new light emerges--both literally and metaphorically--and sometimes we make our way back to where it all began, to our old haunts.
With winter depression taking its toll it was time for new sleep patterns, new exercise routines, new eating habits. The walk, as boring and mundane as it always seemed to me, brought me back from the brink, and with my camera in hand I've slowly made my way back to normalcy.
All images taken with the Fujifilm X100T
Dundee Hills
OLD FRIENDS
A couple of years ago I worked at a restaurant supply company, I had a lot of friends there, but after I left I kind of disconnected from everyone there-- I suppose as a way to 'start over', or something.
One of my dearest friends from that old job was Jon, and by extension one of my favorite families. There were very few people I could talk to candidly, and genuinely, as most everyone there, by no fault of their own, were in work mode all the time. But with Jon I got close to his family, we shared our various challenges in and out of the work place, and we hung out occasionally outside of work. I would sit at his desk, or he at my desk, and I swear I could talk for hours about, well, anything really.
At any rate, his family feels like family to me, and although I haven't seen them for so long, having them come over to shoot a few photographs with me was like old times all over again... the good, old times.
It was legitimately my pleasure, and I thank you all again for coming to see me, having some fun stomping around the property, a big thank you to Alicia for dealing with my studio direction, and helping me create some of my favorite photographs to date.
Thank you genuinely.
THE EARLY BIRD
in excursions, Winery
With coyotes yelling nearby, our Bernese Mountain Dog decided to let the whole house know at 4:35 am this morning. The dog quieted down quickly, but getting back to sleep wasn't going to happen.
With new blooms on the Pinot Noir vineyards, and just minutes from sunrise, it seemed reasonable to get out and see if there was something interesting.
DUNDEE HILLS LEGACY: MARESH
in Winery, Dundee Hills
From my backyard I can see the big, red barn.
The old structure has been there a long time obviously, and with it comes the history of not only Maresh Vineyards, but also a history of the area. Just the vines themselves, still sleeping since early winter, have character and charisma. The only color emitting from the ancient looking stumps is lichen and moss, but hidden inside the roots, is a legacy—years of supplying some of the finest winemakers in the world with fruit that is converted to world class Pinot Noir.
I waited towards the end of the day to take these photographs in the best possible light, but as I arrived the sun hid behind dark, gray storm clouds for the remainder of the evening.
And so these photographs will not dazzle you with a sunburst or an explosion of color, but they undoubtedly represent a typical early spring evening in the Dundee Hills.
