May 4th, 2019

In the months since starting this business I've thought a lot about my so-called "ideal client." As a new business, I thought that an ideal client was simply one that would pay me for my photography (Oh Heather, you sweet summer child...) What I've learned is that if someone is simply willing to pay you for a service, they are willing to pay ANYONE for that service. And that's not what I want. I don't just want clients, I want a community.

So, I thought about the clients I've had so far who are all wonderful people that I care for deeply. And I thought about what they all have in common: They are all invested and in love with the communities in which they operate; they all are dedicated to sustainability, in one form or another; and they all are INSANELY fun to work with!

I wrote all of these things down last week and channelled all the love and gratitude I have for my clients and community in my Instagram... and something ridiculous (and amazing) happened... I got an email from Tablas Creek stating simply:

We really like your Instagram. We know this is short notice but, would you be willing to photograph our 30th anniversary party this Friday? I responded YES so quickly and so laden with exclamation points, I'm sure people in New York actually HEARD my email. ⠀

Tablas Creek is not only dedicated to biodynamic (extremely sustainable) agriculture, they are super in love with their community, and, turns out are REALLY, REALLY fun to work with (seriously, I was grinning ear to ear the entire evening). Talk about an ideal client.

Also, they have alpacas, sheep, llamas, chickens, and pigs on their property. I was just like (a'la Chandler Bing), "Can you BE any more amazing?!"⠀

Check out their recent blog post talking about their anniversary party (and featuring some photos from yours truly), here.

Thank you to the folks at Tablas Creek for being so wonderful!


Heather Daenitz is the founder and photographer of Craft & Cluster, a wine & beer photography and social media marketing company based in Santa Barbara County, California.

When she isn't photographing and assisting wineries and breweries with their social media, Heather can be found hanging out with her husband, two dogs, and three chickens in their backyard garden.