How the rolling hills of ‘Bliss’ changed desktop backgrounds forever

As Microsoft prepares to end support for Windows XP on April 8, one part of the operating system will never die: the iconic photograph of green hills known as Bliss. The picture was taken — and left untouched — by photographer Charles O’Rear as he drove through California wine country on his way to visit his girlfriend (who would soon become his wife). Microsoft later bought the image from O’Rear for an unreported amount of money, but it’s known to be one of the largest amounts paid for a single photograph. Read the entire story on CNET Australia to see how the photo became one of the most recognized images in the world, and what it’s like now for O’Rear to see his work in the most unlikely places.