Photographer Behind the Iconic Windows XP Desktop Image Is Back With Three New Free Smartphone Wallpapers

Over twenty years ago Chuck O'Rear took a photo that soon became part billions of peoples everyday lives. He captured Bliss on his way to see his girlfriend, he pulled over when he spotted the perfect scene in Sonoma County California. On the side of the road with his medium format camera, he took what would soon become the most viewed image of all time as a staple of Microsoft. After twenty-one years of unimaginable fame, O'Rear is back with a tribute to the epic American nature and a reminder for us all to cherish our earth's beauties. In collaboration with Lufthansa, O'Rears project titled "New Angles of America" is available to us all for free, just as nature is always free for us to view. this download is a must because the images are diamonds in the haystack of backgrounds that clutters the Internet. They were made with purpose, intention, and love, love for people, and love for nature. They were made in hopes of bringing us closer to nature, after decades of growing apart.

When Lufthansa asked O'Rear to take these images he was ecstatic. The seventy-five-year-old nature photographer is well traveled after twenty-five years of shooting for National Geographic. Although he's been to every corner of the world, he hadn't photographed these legendary American locations before. In the projects inspiring promotional video, O'rear talks about his inspiring genuine desire to share the happiness he feels from being in nature with the world.

I'd say he has far surpassed his goals with these balanced, rich, and incredibly peaceful new backgrounds. O'Rear wished for his images to take people away from the everyday noise of chaotic life. He reflects on how much "Bliss" changed his life over the last two decades and is now gifting us some pure bliss to keep on our phones. O'Rear explains that our phone backgrounds should make us feel something, he's probably right since we look at our screens over 260 times per day on average. 

O'Rear took the first background in White Pocket, sculpted like ice cream in extreme Northern Arizona. Hikers who stand amidst the canyon say it's as close as you can get to being on another planet because of the mesmerizing whirls of the desert terrain. 

The second is of Maroon Bells in Aspen Colorado, a scene painted vibrantly by 300 million years of geological activity. At 14,000 feet above the marron valley, and a lake that reflects their bold colors, the peaks take the title of the most photographed mountains in North America. 

The third and final background is of Peek-A-Boo Slot, an unreal canyon near Dry Fork, Grand Staircase. The canyon isn't very large but it's perfect curves and smooth warm gradients make you feel as if you've left reality. The canyon was the perfect choice to encourage users to disconnect from their phones and soak in the beauty around them in nature. 

[via New Angles of America]