91 Times
What does it mean to break free from conventional imagery when photographing wine?
Author/PicturesJulius Hirtzberger
Author/PicturesJulius Hirtzberger
As someone who grew up very close to the world of wine and who has also turned his hand to photography, the ÖTW set me the challenging task, in a variety of ways, of portraying a significant part of the Austrian wine world – its 91 member estates – over the course of almost a whole year. 91 wineries, 91 people, places and approaches to wine. I would like to offer a brief insight into this journey and also present a personal ‘best of’ selection from the resulting images.
A fresh take on wine. 91 times?
I began my career in photography in my home region, the Wachau, and its neighbouring wine-growing areas. I shot my first rolls of film in the vineyards of a winery close to my family. Nevertheless, my photographic journey soon took me far beyond the world of wine. The commission from the ÖTW ultimately brought together what had originally drawn me to photography with what I had experienced and learnt out in the big wide world – a sort of ‘back-to-the-roots’ moment for my photography.
"When it came to wineries – and potentially as many as 92 of them – my first thought was of an endless succession of tanks, barrels, rows of vines, grapevines, glasses and bottles. What struck me most, however, was a sense of respect for my own, perhaps limited, abilities."
My aesthetically driven visual language followed certain established heuristics and a few ‘tricks’ that had become standard practice for me, though I kept reinterpreting them. Having used these 91 times, I began to fear that my audience—or rather, my clients—might be growing weary of them.
That was precisely what appealed to me. I wanted to develop a visual approach that didn’t simply portray wineries in a beautiful light, but one that was unconventional, progressive and yet well-founded. I didn’t want to spend 92% of the time photographing people with wine glasses in soft, flattering light from the side, just because it looks good. It was up to me to recognise precisely these differences, interpret them and finally weave them into a coherent narrative on the spot.
Where do I find the key if I no longer use a set formula?
Above all else was curiosity. Curiosity about the winemakers themselves, their surroundings, their knowledge, their experiences, their convictions and the actions that stemmed from them. And then it was a matter of observing, picking up on subtleties, understanding, interpreting, drawing conclusions, picking up the camera and doing something unconventional.
Ein Foto, das das Chaos nicht beschönigt.
Ein Foto, das aus einem unkontrollierbaren Moment entstanden ist.
"The more wineries I visited in a short space of time, the more I realised how clearly and logically these factors fit together like pieces of a jigsaw to form the final product – wine – it was fascinating! I visited up to three wineries a day over a relatively short, intensive period – this tight schedule made the differences, which at first glance often seemed very subtle, stand out even more clearly."
The 91 wineries have shown me my home in a new light
Although Lower Austria and Vienna are my extended home, this project has given me a whole new appreciation of the wine-related opportunities this region has to offer. This applies in terms of geography, landscape and culture, as well as to the many truly remarkable and interesting people I have met in the course of this project. And, of course, it has also greatly broadened my amateur knowledge of wine.
About the author
Julius Hirtzberger
Photographer
Born in 1991, having previously worked in professional sport, he turned to photography after obtaining modest academic qualifications in a field unrelated to his interests; he lives with his small family in Vienna and Spitz an der Donau. His work has an international focus on the fields of design, art, interiors, portraiture and reportage. His work appears regularly in magazines such as Vogue, the Financial Times, Monocle, AD, etc. He also maintains collaborations with designers and architects such as Philippe Starck, hospitality brands such as Rosewood, and brands such as bulthaup. Contentment ensues.
