There is an endless supply of images and photos in the world, how does one become the most viewed of all time? Well Bliss, the picture below, has taken that title, and, although you may have never heard its name, you have definitely seen it before.


The most notable home for this famous photo is as the default background for Windows XP, and Bill Gates paid an “extraordinary” fee for it to be there, according to Charles O’Rear (the photographer of Bliss). The most amazing thing about this picture is that it wasn’t for some assignment or even a purpose; O’Rear captured this serene sight from a highway rest stop in Sonoma County, California because he just liked the way it looked. This accidentally acclaimed piece of art has been seen by more than 1 billion people in the 10 years of it’s existence.

You can visit the exact spot in which the photo was taken (3101 Fremont Dr., Sonoma, California, or 38.250124,-122.410817 if you prefer GPS coordinates) and try to recreate the esteemed snapshot yourself. Below are some of the attempts by others over the years.







As you can see, O’Rear was certainly in the right place at the right time and was rewarded greatly for it. It is a great lesson in always having your camera with you because you never know what will happen to that chance photo from the side of the road.