This 1996 picture is the world’s most viewed image and here’s why

At a first glance at the photo, it is easy to conclude that this must be come sort of a joke, or an expensive prank, but a second look will give you that ‘oh yeah’ reaction.

And truly, when one realises that the image in question is without a doubt a very popular one, then it settles any doubts, particularly for people who have lived through the 1990s till date.

The image, a plain green field married against a blue sky and fluffy clouds, was featured as a default Windows XP background for many years.

The image, according to Historical Pictures, is called ‘Bliss,’ and was shot by Charles O’Rear, an American photographer, in 1996.

In an April 8, 2014, report by mid-day.com, it said that Charles O’Rear told said, “There was absolutely no Photoshop or any editing involved. I live 60 miles north of San Francisco in a wine region of Napa Valley. I took the photograph in an area called Carneros.”

The report added that O’Rear spent his career with National Geographic magazine as a photographer till 1995.

From then on, he has devoted his time to capturing wine regions of the world for wine magazines, and for photo archive website Corbis, which is owned by Microsoft owner, Bill Gates.

Corbis was the reason Microsoft engineers found ‘Bliss’.