450 wineries

As part of my long-standing collaboration with the German magazine Der Feinschmecker, I was commissioned to photograph around 450 wineries in Spain, France and Germany. This became a lesson in seeing and perception.

The first ten wineries were exhilarating, with hundreds of motifs vying for attention. From the fiftieth winery onwards, it became tedious, everything repeated itself. It was frustrating to live up to my own standards for new, inspiring images. 

Boredom seems to be a real booster for creativity. I began to see many previously ignored details that were characteristic of each winery. And so it remained exciting and interesting until the very last assignment.

Showing the invisible

The article began with a description of the influence of humid Atlantic air in this part of the Rioja. On the last day of my reporting trip, having already visited 12 wineries, I was desperate; I couldn't find a picture that captured this characteristic feature.

I set my alarm for 6 a.m. A glance out of the hotel window revealed grey, cloudy, dirty skies. Nevertheless, I set off, having found a good spot from which I could show the Sierra and the vineyards beautifully and clearly. I sat in the car with my camera set up on the tripod. Shortly after dawn, the sky cleared and a band of clouds flowed over the Sierra into the lower-lying vineyards. Job done.