The iconic photograph known as Bliss, which served as the default wallpaper for Microsoft's Windows XP operating system between 2001 and 2007, has gained recognition as "the most famous picture in the world". In the years since it was taken, the location of the photo has undergone a remarkable transformation and today it’s a flourishing vineyard.
Captured by National Geographic photographer Charles O'Rear in 1996 using a medium format Mamiya RZ67 in Sonoma, California, the stunning landscape of rolling green hills, a clear blue sky, and a solitary hilltop tree was taken as O’Rear traveled to see his now wife. This simple yet captivating image was selected to be the default wallpaper and installed on over a billion computers with Windows XP.
