Vineyards are usually quiet places. Rows of vines, a few birds, the occasional tractor and a winemaker checking the grapes with a very serious face. On this particular summer afternoon, however, the rows of green leaves were about to become the most glamorous photo studio in the region.
The model arrives in an all-white lace outfit that looks like it was designed by the sun itself. Dark wavy hair, a confident smile and a pose that says the grapes are nice, but have you seen this? Behind her, the vines stretch into the distance, and above her the sky is a perfect summer blue with fluffy white clouds.
Photo shoots in nature are always a little bit chaotic behind the scenes. The wind moves the hair at exactly the wrong moment, the ground is uneven, and there is always one insect that wants to be in every picture. None of that shows here. Every pose looks effortless, from the hands on the hips to the playful lean against a wooden vine post.
As the light changes, the video gets even better. The colours shift to dreamy purple and pink, the green of the vines becomes almost neon, and the whole scene starts to look like a music video. Golden hour does what golden hour does best: it makes everything look like a memory.
The photographer, credited at the end of the clip, clearly knows how to use a location. The rows of the vineyard become leading lines, the open sky becomes a backdrop, and the model becomes the centre of a postcard nobody would send to their grandmother, but everybody would keep.
We have to admit, the grapes have competition this year. Usually people come to the vineyard for the harvest festival. After this shoot, they might come for the view.
It is a reminder that you do not need an expensive studio for beautiful pictures. You need good light, a confident attitude and a location with character. A vineyard at sunset ticks all the boxes.
So what do you think: should every vineyard host a summer photo shoot before the harvest, or should the grapes be allowed to keep the spotlight? We know which side the winemaker would take, but we are not so sure about you.
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