The Story Behind Microsoft's Famous XP Desktop Wallpaper

Even if you’ve used other operating systems for your whole life, you’re bound to have encountered Microsoft‘s “Bliss” wallpaper. The iconic photo – depicting a serene grassy plain against a perfect blue sky – seems somehow beyond reality, perhaps attributing to its success and memorableness. In observing the end of support for the Windows XP platform, Microsoft deemed it fitting to interview the photographer behind the infamous image. Here, photographer Charles O’Rear invites audiences into his home in Napa Valley, California, detailing the surprisingly simple equipment and circumstances that led him to create one of the world’s most recognizable photos.