Charles O'Rear
Encyclopedia
Charles O'Rear is an American
photographer best known for his photos of wine country and the image Bliss
that was used as a standard wallpaper in Windows XP
.
During the 1970s, he contributed to the Environmental Protection Agency
’s DOCUMERICA
project. O’Rear photographed for National Geographic Magazine
for more than 25 years. He began his focus on winemaking in 1978 as an assignment to photograph the Napa Valley. Afterwards, he moved to Napa Valley and began photographing wine production around the world. To date, O’Rear has provided photographs for seven wine books.
O'Rear's photograph of the rolling hills of Sonoma County, titled Bliss
, was used as a standard wallpaper in Windows XP and as part of the Microsoft Corporation US$
200 million advertising campaign
, Yes you can. The image is also available as one of the many image options on Capital One
credit cards, and has been subject to many parodies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer best known for his photos of wine country and the image Bliss
Bliss (image)
Bliss is the name of a Windows bitmap image included with Microsoft Windows XP, produced from a photograph of a landscape in Sonoma County, California, southeast of Sonoma Valley near the site of the old Clover Stornetta Inc. Dairy. The image contains rolling green hills and a blue sky with cumulus...
that was used as a standard wallpaper in Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
.
During the 1970s, he contributed to the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
’s DOCUMERICA
DOCUMERICA
DOCUMERICA was a program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency to "photographically document subjects of environmental concern" in the United States of America from about 1972 to 1977....
project. O’Rear photographed for National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
for more than 25 years. He began his focus on winemaking in 1978 as an assignment to photograph the Napa Valley. Afterwards, he moved to Napa Valley and began photographing wine production around the world. To date, O’Rear has provided photographs for seven wine books.
Bliss (image)
Bliss is the name of a Windows bitmap image included with Microsoft Windows XP, produced from a photograph of a landscape in Sonoma County, California, southeast of Sonoma Valley near the site of the old Clover Stornetta Inc. Dairy. The image contains rolling green hills and a blue sky with cumulus...
, was used as a standard wallpaper in Windows XP and as part of the Microsoft Corporation US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
200 million advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
, Yes you can. The image is also available as one of the many image options on Capital One
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
credit cards, and has been subject to many parodies.
Photo books
- Chardonnay: Photographs from Around the World by Charles O'Rear and Michael Creedman (1999)
- Napa Valley: The Land, The Wine, The People (2001)
- Wine Country by John Doerper, Charles O'Rear (Compass American Guides)
- Cabernet: A Photographic Journey from Vine to Wine by Michael Creedman and Charles O'Rear, Foreword by Robert MondaviRobert MondaviRobert Gerald Mondavi was a leading California vineyard operator whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi aggressively promoted labeling wines varietally rather than...
- Wine Places: The Land, the Wine, the People by David Furer and Charles O'Rear (2005)
- Beautiful Wineries by Charles O'Rear and Thom Elkjer (2005)
- Wine Aross America: A Photographic Road Trip by Charles O'Rear and Daphne Larkin (2007)