
"We're guessing billions of people have seen it because it's on 500 million XP programs," O'Rear said. That's what happens when Microsoft buys one of your photos, names it, 'Bliss,' and makes it the default for Windows XP. "I had no idea it would become the most recognized photograph on the planet," O'Rear said. Since O'Rear is a photographer, he raised his camera to take four pictures. "A storm had just passed through," he recalled. O'Rear knew he liked Northern California's green hills, blue sky, and white clouds, so he got out of his car and went for a walk that beautiful day. "I was sort of looking for it, but I didn't know where to find it," he said. (KGO) - If you're looking for Bliss, it's on private property, but it's clearly visible just off Highway 121 in Sonoma County.Ĭhuck O'Rear is neither the Pope nor the Dali Lami, but without question, he's the world's foremost expert on Bliss.īack when he drove this road in 1998, Bliss was elusive for him, too.
