BERKELEY AND STUART

A warehouse in Sonoma. Barrel tastings in the Rhône. Sunrise in Le Montrachet. Lots and lots of hustle...
Berkeley and Stuart is toutes les choses.

Founded by Master Sommelier Brahm Callahan, Berkeley and Stuart is a retail wine merchant focused on procuring the best and rarest bottles the world of wine has to offer. When it comes time to source new stocks, whenever possible Brahm and his team travel overseas to meet and taste with winemakers in person -deepening relationships and expanding offerings available to their clients. As you might imagine, these trips are full of things to see; I’ve luckily been invited to travel along and document the fun.

As a photographer who focuses mostly on a single subject, in order to keep things fresh and exciting I’m always trying to find ways to differentiate my projects from one another. When the scope of this particular collaboration was laid out what struck me most was the romance of it all… travelling across the world, visiting the best producers, tasting in ancient cellars, walking the most hallowed vineyards on the planet… it was just too special not to approach differently.

I have always loved the tones and feel of pictures taken with Leica cameras; for years I had fantasized about adding one my collection but could never find the right time to make the investment… until now! So, in the spirit of travel, romance, and craft, all photos for B+S are shot on a Leica M10 Rangefinder primarily mounted with a vintage 1960’s-era Leica Summilux 1.4/50mm lens. The significant challenge that comes with depending on this type of camera to produce commercial-grade work on demand across all possible conditions of lighting and weather cannot be understated. After seeing the results from numerous shoots I can happily say the beautiful color tone, depth, and gritty honesty this unique camera helps to bring to the images more than makes up for the extra efforts.

Photography for Berkeley and Stuart began in mid-2021 and with a long-term goal of having all imagery used for the brand be 100% original, the adventure is ongoing and there are lots more pictures to take!

www.berkeleyandstuart.com || Website Collaborator : Six