From an original photograph by Napaman.
“Alma de la Tierra,” which means “Soul of the Earth,” celebrates life in the vineyards.
If you’ve followed Napaman for the past 10 years, you have only occasionally found a story about me. Ninety-nine percent of the stories here have been about a winery, a wine tasting, a restaurant, or an event. Napaman was the messenger of these stories, not the subject.
But this column turns this history on its head. This time, the story is about my photography.
In the short space of a few column inches, I am going to expose you to my work and possibly even prompt you to purchase one of my photographs, or, better yet, have you order one affixed to a shower curtain (looks great!), coffee mug, or create a set of postcards to give to someone as a hostess, birthday, or holiday, gift. No kidding.
Fog balloons, Napa Valley
Gnarly Zin vine, Napa Valley
Fall colors, Napa Valley
Biblical sunset, Napa Valley
(NOT photoshopped – this is the real sky, my camera recorded exactly what I saw)
These wine-country images, and dozens more, appear on my Fine Arts America site. (Click on this link to be taken to my wine-country portfolio. Use the discount code EFEXDM to get 20% off whatever you buy – consider this Napaman’s treat to you for being a loyal reader.)
The “Alma de la Tierra”poster above is available in a variety of sizes and can be printed on numerous materials (paper, metal, canvas, etc.).
With the purchase of 10 or more copies of the poster, I can have the text, “Alma de la Tierra”replaced with your own personalized message. For such an individual request, please contact my business manager, Jim Scott, at [email protected]
Backgrounder
Few readers know that before I was a professional wordsmith, I made my living as a professional photographer.
Island of Djerba, Tunisia, photo by Jim White
Island of Djerba, Tunisia, photo by Jim White
In 1970, I traveled to Africa to tackle a freelance, photographic assignment for National Geographic in Tunisia – the editors, comfortable with my photographic skills and eye, asked me to record life on the Isle of Djerba, a.k.a., “Land of the Lotophages”(lotus-eaters).
These photos from Africa, Jim White
After covering wars, drought, and civil unrest across Africa with my camera for years, I discovered that I also had a voice with words. And so I became a foreign correspondent in Africa, stringing for numerous periodicals, newspapers, United Press International and the Associated Press.
After spending time in African jails for being in the right place (as a journalist) at the wrong time (charged for being in areas where journalists were unwelcome – in Libya, Egypt and Uganda), I returned to North America. I calculated that it was safer to write about prepared food rather than African conflicts.
I became a food writer, then a restaurant critic and in the process, (not being immodest here, but who else is going to say this…?) was twice named, by a panel of journalist peers, in 1980, and again in 1982, the Best Food Writer in North Americawriting for a newspaper with 1 million circulation or greater.
But all these many years later, I still have a passion for photography; and after moving to Napa Valley, I revitalized this passion in the vineyards.
Jimi Hendrix, photo by Jim White.
A year ago, I teamed up with a talented, local photographer and darkroom technician, Jim Scott, who digitized 20,000 of my film images, and coordinated the sale of a portfolio of Jimi Hendrix images, which I had shot in 1969, to the Estate of Jimi Hendrix.
And it was Jim who is coaxing me to monetize my wine-country imagery; he insisted that I post this story.
Will this story generate photography sales? Dunno. Let’s see.
Anyway, thanks for reading to the end.