Default windows xp background full#
Default windows xp background windows#

Default windows xp background windows#

What was so special in this photograph? What made Microsoft designers choose is as the default wallpaper for Windows XP? While researching for this post, tens of questions wandered in my mind. If you are in Sonoma County, feed 38.248966, -122.410269 in Google Maps to be taken to the exact location! My thoughts on the Bliss photograph But the landscape had changed, with grapevines now growing on the hills. The photograph ended up with Microsoft and they named it Bliss!Д«ecause of its fame, several people ventured to exact location in Sonoma County just to replicate the photo. Microsoft agreed and sent him a plane ticket. The only resort was for him was to personally deliver the film. Charles OвЂ™Rear tried sending it but all the couriers refused! Why? Because the value of the вЂњpackageвЂќ was way higher than the insurance coverage. Though the exact figure has never been disclosed вЂ“ OвЂ™Rear had to sign a confidentiality agreement with Microsoft вЂ“ it is believed to be in the low six-figures.ДЄs per the agreement, the original film had to be passed on to Microsoft. OвЂ™Rear thought about it but the company вЂњ made him an offer he couldnвЂ™t refuseвЂњ. They asked him to sell them all the rights of the photo. Corbis, you see, was owned by Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. Sometime in 2000 or 2001, Charles OвЂ™Rear was contacted by designers at Microsoft. It languished there amongst other stock photos. So OвЂ™Rear sent it to Corbis to be licensed out.Д¬orbis, a company involved with licensing digital work, put up the photograph online. Unfortunately, the photo couldnвЂ™t be used in the prospective wine book (probably because the grapevines were absent). His choice of camera and film had been perfect. On developing the photograph, he instinctively knew he had caught a beauty. OвЂ™Rear took four shots, packed his equipment and moved on. The stage was constantly changing with the clouds moving about, which in turn was shifting the lighting. He quickly took out his tripod and set up the camera. Driving on the Sonoma Highway, OвЂ™Rear came across the scene and was transfixed. Additionally, the grapevines, which usually adorned the landscape were absent because of a recent bug infestation. It was a delightful Friday afternoon, a storm had just passed and the recent showers had made the area green. Getting pictures for the book was probably one of his responsibilities, he being a former National Geographic photographer. the two were working together on a book about the wine country. Helena, Napa Valley and was on his way to visit his girlfriend (and future wife), Daphne Irwin. You can learn more about the iconic photo from O'Rear himself in an interview with Microsoft Netherlands.Charles OвЂ™Rear lived in St. If you're ever in California, you can visit the same area by driving to this location on Google Maps. It's unclear who exactly stumbled upon 'Bliss' at Windows, but it was chosen as the default wallpaper for Windows XP. O'Rear then used Corbis, an archiving and image licensing company, to submit his photo, called 'Bliss.' At the time, Corbis was also owned and started by Bill Gates. 'I got out, took a couple of pictures, and kept on going,' O'Rear said to PCWorld. The original photo was taken by Charles O'Rear in 1998 as he drove through Sonoma County, CA, on the way to meet his future wife, reports PCWorld.

Default windows xp background full#

Submitted by Reddit user eatnumber1, the photo shows the area looking slightly similar - still green, except full of vineyards now. In case you didn't know, it's a real place - and a Reddit user recently visited the area and took a photo of what it looks like today. Anyone who used a Windows computer remembers the iconic default wallpaper on XP: a hill with the greenest of grass, and a rich blue sky with a few clouds.