Warning: Pretty Picture in Almond Orchards Could Cost a Pretty Penny
DIXON (CBS13) — With a beautiful weekend of weather ahead many people are likely planning to get outside. That means a busy weekend of taking photos, especially as almond trees begin to bloom.
Solano County Sheriff's deputies are putting out a warning as more people cross the line to get that good Instagram.
Out in Dixon, almond trees aren't hard to find. Tommy Bottoms was raised around them. Like many others in the area, they're now a part of his daily life.
"We have the best jobs in the world and it's beautiful," said Bottoms.
The trees are so beautiful, people probably can't help wanting to snap a photo.
"People get upset with me cause they want just a quick photoshoot with their kids, their husband or the dog," said Lisa Altmiller, a photographer in the Dixon area. She gets asked to do photoshoots in the orchards all the time, but it's just not something she'll do without permission.
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"It's legal to do it on the side of the road as a backdrop, but people don't want that," said Altmiller. "They want to be in the middle of the fields."
Being out in the middle of the fields could pose several problems. Bottoms said his orchard doesn't experience trespassers much but he knows other farmers see them frequently.
"It's private property so there are risks associated with that for the people doing that and the farmer themselves," said Bottoms. "Every bloom that gets knocked off is a loss of crop."
Many farmers in Solano County told CBS13 they've seen people trespassing to take photos, leaving behind trash and even damaging crops. On her daily drives, Altmiller sees a thing or two, as well.
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"I've seen people cutting into the trees with their initials to leave something behind," said Altmiller.
All things said that pretty picture could cost you a pretty penny — more than just the cost of a good photographer.
"You might want to look for somebody else cause a reputable photographer is not going to go into the fields without permission," said Altmiller.
That means selfies, too. If caught trespassing, a person could get fined up to $1,000. So before you "do it for the gram," maybe think twice.
"We depend on this as our livelihood," said Bottoms.
Many of these farmers say they'd be okay with people taking photos in the field if they'd ask for permission. It's something to keep in mind with beautiful temperatures this weekend, and people are outside taking in all the beauty of the blossoms.
