The story behind the most recognizable photo in the world (2 photos)
Legendary things in life sometimes appear… by accident. That’s exactly what happened with the most recognizable photograph in the world — a green hill under a blue sky, which became the standard screensaver for Windows XP. 
It all started in January 1996. Photographer Charles O’Rear was driving to meet his girlfriend. At that time, he was no stranger to photography. He had a decade of experience as a photographer, including for National Geographic.
Driving through a picturesque area in Sonoma County, California, his attention was drawn to an ideal landscape. A bright green hill after recent rains. A soft, light sky with clouds. And no signs of civilization. It was a real digital nirvana.
Charles stopped. He pulled out his Mamiya RZ67 camera. He took a couple of shots. And drove on. Not suspecting yet that he had just taken a picture that the whole world would see. A couple of days later, he uploaded the photo to the stock site Corbis. The site belonged to Bill Gates. He called the photo Bliss - which means "bliss" in translation. And forgot about it.
Four years have passed. It is the year 2000. Microsoft is preparing its new operating system - Windows XP.
The developers want to breathe a spirit of hope, lightness and ... digital optimism into the product. They need the perfect background for the desktop - calm, pleasing to the eye, memorable. They find Bliss. And they contact Charles. Negotiations begin. Microsoft doesn't just want to buy the rights to the photo - they plan to buy it outright, forever.
The deal was so big that the author of the photo, O'Rear, had to personally carry the original to headquarters because FedEx refused to take on such responsibility.
Moreover, Charles signed a strict NDA - a non-disclosure agreement, so he still cannot disclose the exact amount of the deal. According to experts, the cost of full rights could reach a million dollars.
With the release of Windows XP in 2001, Bliss became the default screensaver for a billion computers around the world. This photo is the first thing millions of users see every day when they turn on their computers.
This was not just a photo. It is a symbol of the era. A simple yet powerful image has become a visual synonym for "computer", "internet", "beginning" for an entire generation.
After receiving his fee, Charles immediately retired to a golden Californian pension. He continued photographing nature and vineyards, smiling as he recalls how one successful photo changed his life.
His work is compared to the Mona Lisa of the digital age. Only instead of an enigmatic smile, there is a hill and sky.
This is how one successful shot can change the author's life. Each person will have their own "successful shot" in their life trajectory. 
