Northern California is known for having some of the most beautiful sunflower fields in the world! I've always wanted to shoot pictures like these - it reminds me of the golden sunflower fields in Italy. I threw on a white cotton dress and straw sun hat and pretended like I was Frances Mayes in "Under the Tuscan Sun" - one of my favorite movies of all time by the way!
The sunflower fields we visited began blooming in early June and the stalks were about 4-5 feet high when we visited in early July. They are located in Dixon, CA, easily accessible and visible off Highway 80 about 20 minutes west of Sacramento. You can't miss them as they are vast, colorful, and do attract a lot of attention for people to pull off the highway and take pictures - namely photographers and bloggers, but also a few tourists and casual mobile phone users looking for a pretty shot! There is plenty of space to park along the road that runs parallel to the highway.
If you are looking to get the most amazing shot, I would suggest going at sunrise (sun in front of you) or sunset (sun behind you). We went around 10 am in the morning and the sun was already casting shadows above but we still were able to get a few good shots. Remember, sunflowers always have their face to the sun, so keep that in mind when determining the best time. I would also suggest going on a weekday vs. weekend if possible. The weekend traffic on highway 80 can be bad and of course there will be more people there.
This is a sunflower farm and the owners have been very generous to allow the public to take pictures. However, please ensure you are respectful of their land and the flowers. Use the sunflowers for a backdrop - walking between them can break the foliage and damage the flowers. Also, it should go without saying but I'll say it anyway... please leave the flowers for others to admire as well - do not pick them. If you want to take pictures with sunflowers in your hand or in a basket - please purchase some and bring to your photo shoot.
