Early last year, the Napa Valley Register published an article telling the interesting story of "Bliss", the rolling green hills and blue sky photograph that was the default wallpaper image for Microsoft Windows XP. 

Former longtime  National Geographic photographer Chuck O'Rear was driving through rural Sonoma County, California when he spotted the scene. He pulled to the side of the road, stuck his camera through a fence, and snapped the picture. Ultimately, Microsoft purchased his copyright for what O'Rear says is one of the highest fees ever paid to a living photographer for a single image. He estimates the photograph has been seen by a billion people or more.