No doubt, the image just below is one of the most viewed in the world. Opening the classic home screen Windows XP, it is estimated that more than a billion people have seen the green plains and white clouds photographed by Charles O'Rear. What few people know is that the image, taken from a plain in Sonoma, in the United States, would be one of the greatest disappointments of the American photographer. Check out the full article and find out! 😉
He states the following to the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald:
“I had no idea it would become the most viewed and recognizable photograph in the world. If I had known how popular she would become and how many computers would be with her, I would have made a deal and commented 'just give me a few cents for every time she is seen'. That would be a better deal.”
However, some experts estimate that if Charles O'Rear had charged his photography one cent for each copy of Windows XP sold, he would have made much more money today than he did. US$ 10 million USD.
Contrary to what many speculate, the plains that are displayed in the image are not located in Ireland. It all started while O'Rear was cruising around California to pick up his girlfriend in 1996. However, O'Rear stopped the car to admire the landscape of the fields and took a picture with his camera. Mamiya RZ67. A storm passed through the place, but some clouds had remained – and from there he took the iconic photograph.
Now the cruel doubt must remain for millions of people: how is the place after 15 years? See HERE in Google Street View! See also the video below:
The location where O`Rear took the image is from hard to access, as the plains now belong to a local winery. After all, a few years separate the green fields of the Windows XP operating system to the landscape of today. But what do you think? A little different from the famous wallpaper that starred your computer?
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