The best Windows XP wallpaper

Autumn

Image information
Original title	Autumn Leaves
Licensed from	Corbis
Originates from	Corbis
Photographer	Peter Burian
Taken	October 1999
Location	Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Windows information
Software	Windows XP
Type	Wallpaper
Original filename	CB040538
Resolution	800×600
File type	JPEG (.jpg)
Stock photo information
License type	Royalty free
ID	CB040538

Autumn, originally known as Autumn Leaves, is a wallpaper included in Windows XP, licensed from Corbis. It was taken by Peter Burian in October 1999. It depicts a road covered in leaves in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. There is also a vertical version; both are no longer available on Getty Images or other stock photo sites with the exception of Photononstop.

History

Peter Burian took hundreds of autumn lane frames with a Nikon F90 in Kilbride, Burlington, Ontario, Canada during October 1999, as he was testing lenses for a photography magazine. At the time, Burian did not think of it much and therefore did not expect it would become so popular years later.

He would subsequently submit two of these shots to Corbis as royalty free images, one being horizontal and the other vertical. Corbis appears to own the rights to them, although he got 15% of the sales from it. In 2001 Microsoft bought a license to the horizontal version for around $300 for Windows XP’s wallpaper set (where he received $45), where it has become his most successful and well known image. Although it is not as well known as the default wallpaper Bliss, it is still one of the most popular XP wallpapers.

During 2006-07, Vanity Fair journalist Nick Tosches, fascinated with Autumn, decided to track down where Autumn was taken, a process that took several months of contacting people and browsing online. Eventually he was informed by Microsoft that it originated from Bill Gates’ stock photo agency Corbis, so he found its Corbis page, which did not mention its photographer due to Corbis owning the rights to the photo, nor did it even mention its location. The only useful information it provided was the month and year taken. However, Vanity Fair’s senior photo research editor Ann Schneider was able to find out the photographer’s name.

Tosches contacted Burian, who had also become interested in tracking down the location of the photo. Eventually he found it; he even contacted the property’s current owner who agreed that it was the right spot. According to Burian, the lane leads to a farmhouse formerly owned by the Harris family, who were one of the first European settlers in Burlington. Tosches’ findings would be discussed in a 2007 Vanity Fair article titled Autumn and the Plot Against Me.

In January 2022, a fundraiser was started to raise money for purchasing the full resolution version of Autumn, available at Photononstop. After most of the goal was raised, the image was purchased and shared online.

Legacy

The image went on to become one of Burian’s most licensed images, as he earned slightly under $800 in income from it, which could imply it was licensed 17 times. Burian did not expect that the photo would become such a big deal, although he has described his “15 minutes of fame” as “fun”. Ever since, he has taken more photos at the same spot, including a winter version. He still has a high res copy of the horizontal version, although one of his rescanned versions rather than the darker version that was available on Corbis, which was likely scanned by the company themselves.

Like with Bliss, several tribute shots of the same place have been taken, including one by Joseph John in 2015, showing that its appearance has not changed to the same degree as Bliss.

Variations

There are quite a few variations of this image.

• One of them is similar to the version used in XP, albeit taken vertically, therefore showing more of one of the trees. This version is titled Autumn Leaves Falling on Road. It is also the version of Autumn that appears in Tosches’ Vanity Fair article about the image.
• Burian has also uploaded his own version of the horizontal shot to 500px twice in 2012 and 2014; both of the two copies present on 500px appear to be brighter than the original Corbis version (with the 2014 upload being slightly closer to the Corbis original), which is still available at French stock photo agency Photononstop along with the vertical Corbis version. Both have copyright watermarks, with rather inaccurate years: the 2012 upload states 2005 and the 2014 upload states 2002.

Bleu de Chanel (Eau de Parfum)

Item	Details
Name	Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum
Fragrance type	Woody Aromatic
Launch year	2014
Perfumer	Jacques Polge
Top notes	Citrus
Heart notes	Sandalwood, cedar and amber
Bottle design	Deep, mysterious blue bottle with minimalist rectangular design
Sizes	Typically available in multiple sizes (e.g., 50 ml, 100 ml, 150 ml depending on market)
Price	Varies by region (example: ~100 ml listed around mid–high luxury pricing tier)
Longevity / Projection	Designed as a more intense, long-lasting version of the EDT with deeper woody-amber character

Duty free

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Field	Information
Title	Condemned: Criminal Origins
Platform	Xbox 360
Developer	Monolith Productions
Publisher	Sega
Director	Frank Rooke
Producer	Michael Willette
Composer	Nathan Grigg
Engine	LithTech Jupiter EX
Genre	Survival horror, first-person, psychological thriller
Game Modes	Single-player
Release Date	November 22, 2005
Series	Condemned
ESRB Rating	M (Mature 17+)
Main Character	Ethan Thomas
Setting	A decaying metropolitan city plagued by violent crime
Gameplay Focus	Melee combat, forensic investigation, survival horror
Notable Features	Evidence collection, UV forensic tools, environmental weapons

Screenshots

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Characters

Character	Role	Affiliation	Description
Ethan Thomas	Protagonist	FBI Serial Crimes Unit (SCU)	Elite investigator and profiler framed for the murder of two police officers. Uses forensic tools and his investigative intuition to hunt the real killer.
Rosa Angel	Supporting Character	FBI SCU	Ethan’s forensic laboratory assistant. Analyzes evidence remotely and guides him throughout the investigation.
Malcolm Vanhorn	Ally / Mysterious Figure	Independent	Friend of Ethan’s late father and uncle of Leland Vanhorn. Provides assistance but has questionable motives.
Leland Vanhorn (Serial Killer X)	Primary Antagonist	Independent	The serial killer responsible for framing Ethan. Hunts other serial killers using their own methods.
Director Ike Farrell	Supporting Character	FBI SCU	Ethan’s superior. Believes Ethan is responsible for the murders and repeatedly urges him to surrender.
Detective Dickenson	Supporting Character	Metro City Police	Detective who accompanies Ethan during the opening investigation.
Officer Becker	Supporting Character	Metro City Police	Police officer assisting Dickenson during the first crime scene investigation.
Oro Dark Primary	Final Boss	Oro	Leader of the mysterious Oro organization and the game’s final enemy.

Serial killers

Character	Alias	MO (Modus Operandi)	Appears In
Leland Vanhorn	Serial Killer X	Murders serial killers using their own methods.	Throughout the game
The Match Maker	Match Maker	Strangles women and stages their bodies with mannequins.	Chapters 1–2
Carl Anderson	The Torturer	Physically and psychologically tortures victims until they commit suicide.	St. Joseph’s Secondary School
Samuel Tibbits	Victim	Former P.E. teacher and victim of The Torturer.	School investigation ([Condemned Wiki][1])

Other characters

Character	Role
The Hate	Mysterious humanoid entity tied to Ethan’s visions and the supernatural aspects of the story.
Metro City Addicts	The primary hostile enemies encountered throughout the game. Violent, mentally unstable individuals influenced by the city’s growing madness.

Chapters

Chapter	Mission / Location	Primary Objective	Notable Features
1	Weishim Office Building	Investigate the first serial murder and pursue Serial Killer X.	Introduction to combat, crime scene investigation, and forensic tools.
2	Central Metro Station	Track evidence through the abandoned metro station.	First major crime scene investigation, hostile scavengers.
3	Metro Station Platforms	Continue pursuing the suspect through the subway platforms.	Close-quarters combat, train hazards.
4	Grid 4 Subway Tunnels	Search the underground tunnels for clues.	Dark environments, navigation, forensic investigation.
5	Bart’s Department Store	Investigate disappearances inside the department store.	Iconic mannequin encounters, psychological horror.
6	Burnback Alley	Follow new leads through abandoned streets and buildings.	Short transitional chapter with heavy combat.
7	Metro City Library	Investigate the library for evidence connected to the murders.	Large interconnected environment, forensic puzzles.
8	St. Joseph’s Secondary School	Search the abandoned school for clues.	One of the game’s longest and most atmospheric levels.
9	Apple Seed Orchard	Track the investigation to the orchard property.	Outdoor environments, escalating story revelations.
10	Apple Seed Orchard Processing Center	Confront the conspiracy and hunt the final suspect.	Final investigation, boss encounter, ending.

Forensic tools

Tool	Category	Primary Function	Typical Evidence
UV Light	Detection	Reveals visible and latent biological evidence, especially blood and other organic traces.	Blood, bodily fluids
Laser Light	Detection	Highlights trace evidence that is otherwise invisible by illuminating microscopic particles and impressions.	Footprints, fibers, trace particles, latent evidence
Gas Spectrometer	Detection	Detects airborne chemical compounds and gases, allowing investigators to track their source.	Methane from decomposing bodies, chemical residues, airborne contaminants
Sampler	Collection	Collects and analyzes physical samples, transmitting the data to the FBI lab.	Fibers, residues, fluids, particles, temperature samples
Portable 3D Scanner	Collection	Creates a three-dimensional scan of physical evidence for laboratory analysis.	Fingerprints, footprints, wounds, small objects, impressions
Digital Camera	Collection	Photographs evidence and crime scenes for remote analysis by the lab.	Blood spatter, bodies, documents, crime scenes, environmental evidence

Category	Tools
Detection Tools	UV Light, Laser Light, Gas Spectrometer
Collection Tools	Sampler, Portable 3D Scanner, Digital Camera