Here’s the story behind Windows XP’s iconic default wallpaper, whose photographer says he was paid “the second-largest sum received by a living photographer for a single photograph” when he signed its rights away to Microsoft.

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Here’s the story behind Windows XP’s iconic default wallpaper, whose photographer says he was paid “the second-largest sum received by a living photographer for a single photograph” when he signed its rights away to Microsoft.

Luke Plunkett is a Senior Editor based in Canberra, Australia. He has written a book on cosplay, designed a game about airplanes, and also runs cosplay.kotaku.com.