Behind the Photo of the Day: A picture of a lush green hill, called “Bliss,†is one of the most recognizable images in the world thanks to its place as the Windows XP default wallpaper — but where did it come from?
Turns out it’s a real scene, not a CG image. It was taken in Sonoma County, CA, circa 1996 by photographer Charles O’Rear.
O’Rear is not allowed to disclose how much Microsoft paid him for Biiss, but he says the payday was the second highest for a living photographer, behind a guy who sold a photo of Bill Clinton hugging Monica Lewinsky.
As for the location, it’s now a vineyard, which you can see in an updated photo after the jump. Google Maps also provides a 360-degree view of the area.
Tagged: bliss, charles o'rear, desktop, hill, microsoft, photo, wallpaper, windows xp
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Not content with his first astronautic experience, Ex-Microsofter billionaire Charles Simonyi is now training for a second trip to the International Space Station in Spring 2009. Simonyi will be the first repeat Space Adventures customer since the company began sending private citizens into the final frontier in 2001.
