Sonoma County Winery Photographer

Dawn Heumann is a Sonoma County winery photographer based in Sebastopol, right in the heart of wine country. She's spent nearly two decades photographing wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms across the county's AVAs, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, and the Sonoma Coast, from first light over the vines through crush and everything in between.

She was born and raised here, and it shows in the way she moves around a working winery: she already knows the schedule without being told. Her Sonoma clients include Duckhorn Vineyards, Silver Oak, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Roederer Estate, Trinchero Family Estates, Constellation Brands, Treasury Wine Estates, and Wagner Family Wines, alongside national campaign work for brands like Amazon, Kellogg's, and Walmart. Local roots and national-caliber production aren't usually the same photographer. Here, they are.

Every project starts the same way: a conversation about what the images actually need to accomplish, whether that's a new release, a refreshed website, or a full seasonal library built out over a few visits. From there, Dawn builds the shot list around the light and the winery's real day, not the other way around. Say hello and tell her what you're working on.

Rodney Strong Vineyards portfolio of bottles under olive branches and afternoon shadows Chateau St Jean brut rose sparkling wine with flutes, mandarins, and ivy Woman pouring Panthera Russian River Valley chardonnay among stainless tanks in the winery Three people tasting young red wine straight from the tank in a winery Couple tasting red wine between vineyard rows at sunset Winemaker filling a glass of red from the barrel with a wine thief in the barrel room Two women receiving a Rodney Strong Vineyards gift bag at the tasting room counter Bottle of Martinelli Jackass Hill held beside a glass of red at an outdoor lunch Hands clinking ribbed coupes of white wine against a bright sky Overhead scopa card game with wine glasses, corks, and afternoon shadows on marble

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Sonoma County winery photo shoot include?

Most Sonoma shoots move through a few chapters in one day: the estate and vines at first light, the tasting room in full swing, clean product and label work, and portraits of the people actually making the wine. Dawn builds the day around the light and the winery's real schedule rather than a fixed shot list, and a lot of Sonoma clients come back season after season until they've built out a full year of imagery. Stills and video can happen in the same visit when that's useful.

Which Sonoma County wine regions does Dawn photograph in?

Home turf: Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, and the Sonoma Coast. Dawn grew up here and is based in Sebastopol, right in the middle of it, and she's just as often over the hill working in Napa Valley and Anderson Valley. More on her Napa Valley winery photography here.

When is the best time of year to photograph a winery in Sonoma County?

Sonoma runs on the same growing season as its neighbors: mustard blooming through the vine rows by February, bud break in spring, veraison by midsummer, and harvest stretching from late August into October depending on the varietal and the vintage. Harvest bookings fill first, often by early spring, so if crush and fermentation imagery is the goal, reach out before summer. Dawn can help you figure out which weeks actually matter for your winery's story.

How do I hire Dawn Heumann for a winery shoot?

The easiest way in is the contact page, or a direct email to contact@dawnheumann.com. Include a bit about your winery, what the images need to accomplish, and your timeline. Dawn reads every inquiry herself and follows up with a clear, itemized estimate after a short call about what you're trying to do.

Planning a Winery Shoot?

Share a little about your winery, your season, and where these images need to show up. Take a look at more of Dawn's wine and vineyard work.

More Wine Country Regions

Dawn shoots across Northern California's wine regions. Here's more of that work by area: