- Windows XP ‘Bliss’ photo is an iconic image of rolling hills
- How does the site where it was taken look today?
- Social media users are heartbroken
The most viewed photo ever is causing a stir, after its appearance today was revealed, almost 25 years since it first etched itself into the memory of a generation.
Of course, we’re talking about Bliss – the title of the image that served as the default desktop background on the Windows XP operating system.
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It featured the iconic green rolling hills of the Napa–Sonoma county line in California set against a bright blue sky, captured by National Geographic photographer Charles “Chuck” O’Rear in 1998.
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While many of us can probably close our eyes and instantly be transported to that lush scene, the reality is, if you visited the site in Sonoma Valley today, you’d likely be disappointed.
Most viewed photo ever ruined
When @insidehistory posted a carousel of snaps to Instagram showing the hills’ appearance in 1998, 2006, 2020, 2024 and 2025 – it broke a lot of hearts.
One user, clearly upset, simply commented: “So it’s ruined. Nice”.
Another heartbroken person wrote: “I used to stare at this for minutes and would wish I was there…it’s sad now.”
“Damn bro the spark the world use to have is gone, the once vibrant colorful world has turned Dull approaching grayscale ☹️”, commented another.
One user chimed in with “1998 was peak humanity”.
The comments are also flooded with crying GIFs and sad-face emojis.
Some people took a more pragmatic approach, with one saying, “It’s just a vineyard now, don’t trip,” and another commenting, “Everybody’s reacting like it’s a grey brick apartment building there now.”
@insidehistory’s caption includes some home truths about the image, putting any doubts that the image wasn’t real to bed: “Despite widespread belief, the photograph wasn’t digitally manipulated; its stunning colors and sharpness were naturally achieved with a medium-format camera.”
Taking the iconic photo
O’Rear explained, speaking to People, that when he was driving near the Napa-Soma County line in January ‘98, he noticed that one field in the middle of a vineyard was completely clear.
The field had been infested with a species of insect called phylloxera, which kills grape vines, and had been cleared the previous year.
“I always carry a camera with me, because you just never know,” said the photographer. “I used to pull over often to take photos. I think the scenery there was so beautiful.”
“When it’s on film, what you see is what you get,” he added, explaining he took the image using a Mamiya RZ67 camera with colour Fuji Film and a tripod.
“There was nothing unusual. I used a film that had more brilliant colours, the Fuji Film at that time, and the lenses of the RZ67 were just remarkable.”
He named the image ‘Bucolic Green Hills’ and made it available through a photography stock company he co-founded, called WestLight. WestLight was later acquired by Corbis Images, a marketing company founded and owned by Microsoft CEO Bill Gates
In 2001, when Microsoft launched Windows XP, it selected ‘Bucolic Green Hills’ as the centerpiece of its $200 million advertising campaign. O’Rear had to personally deliver the film to Microsoft in Seattle due to delivery services declining because of its high value.
O’Rear has signed an agreement that prevents him from ever disclosing the amount Microsoft paid for the rights to the image, though it is thought to have been in the region of $100,000.
YouTuber Victor de Groot published a ‘now and then’ video in 2020, visiting the site of the most viewed photo ever. You can watch it below: