Saturday morning was going to be a quiet morning of not shooting but that all changed when I walked out to grab the morning paper and noted the sky was not only clear (as in no fog) but there were a few interesting  clouds visible in the early darkness.  Tossing the paper, grabbing cameras and a cup of tea I was out the door and headed Upvalley towards a few locations I thought might work for this sunrise.

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I’ve photographed this vineyard many times but never from this direction.  With this particular light and sunrise it worked with just a touch of light hitting the tops of the vines.

It’s been a very cool summer in the Bay Area and here in Napa Valley.  In this photo morning fog is well into burning off from the vineyards at Futo Wines in Oakville.

Have you driving here?  Driven the highway on the edge of the Pacific, high above the surf the road winds with little between driver and sky, sky and rocks and rocks and water.  It’s a beautiful place and a great experience.  It was also the first place if visited on my first trip to California many years ago.

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Grape vines are beautiful, throughout the summer seeming so fresh and vibrant, it’s as though there is a special energy within the growing vines.  Even the leaves, as seen in this photo, exhibit brilliance and intensity.

Sunrise today was clear and bright  as you can see in this photo of a chardonnay vineyard with the backdrop of the golden hills in Carneros.   The second photo is of a developing cluster of pinot noir grapes in shadowy filtered early light.  Both photos from Paradise Vineyards in Carneros.

It’s that time of year in Napa Valley when it’s getting warmer and we have heavy morning fog.  As it burns off it at times does so in waves of lightness, breaking up and dissipating into the heat of the day.

This photo from Futo Wines, a most beautiful vineyard, high in the hills of Oakville.

Telling you the views from Paradise Vineyards are amazing would be an understatement, from their elevated location in Carneros overlooking the Bay it’s a 360 of views. Here in this photo I’m shooting westward towards Marin and the Coast Range Mountains.
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This past week we’ve seen three sets of birds from our window at the suet feeder, the Dowey Woodpeckers below, Plain Titmouse and Chestnut-backed Chickadee – all feeding babies. Often these sets of birds are taking turns at the feeder and singing what seems a special song of connection with their offspring. This photo shot through the glass of the sliding doors.
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A flowering bud of Petite Verdot in early morning light.
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Late Wednesday afternoon soft clouds gave way to cloudless skies to the north and west which rather quickly turned into a storm weaving with movement up the valley from the south. There I was quite a distance from my car, seemingly a huge distance without an umbrella and loaded with cameras. So, it was oh shoot and then of course shoot the sky and vines; I made it back to the car with, well, about two seconds to spare before it totally poured.