Did you know Windows 10 iconic wallpaper is not computer-generated?

If you are a Windows 10 enthusiast and love the floating window wallpaper, you will be shocked to learn that a 3D rendering app does not create it. Instead, designer Bradley Munkowitz sets it up and photographs it.

Bradley Munkowitz created the signature wallpaper using mirrors, lasers, smoke machines, and glass window construction. He took over 3000 shots, tried different alternatives, and used different angles, colors, and lights to achieve the final result.

Here is what Munkowitz said about his approach to creating the default wallpaper for Windows 10:

When I first looked at the Windows logo, I saw more than four tiled squares. I saw the space behind it, and the energy that shines through and gives it a sense of propulsion. The logo makes an impression with that use of curated perspective. In focusing in on the logo, we’re not just telling the story of Windows: we’re telling the story of everything behind and traveling through it, of the advances and techniques that keep the brand moving forward into the future.

He also mentioned:

Our approach involved a live-action shoot using different variables and customizations. Our core concept wanted to position the logo as a portal into the world behind it. We customized and art directed each image to speak to the timelessness of Windows, and its ability to take us anywhere we want to go. We though the best way to achieve this is to build and shoot it practically.

So we built the actual Windows logos and brought them to life through our use of inventive camera angles and evocative volumetric lighting. Using a 9k Phase One Camera system, we shot multiple exposures of the Windows logo, and combined those exposures in post to create a fantastic assemblage of volumetric lighting. The aim was to create a huge variety of desktop images, all of them real and practical, which in essence rendered the desktop image timeless.

The final result was an image what was vivid and tangible, like you could reach into your screen and touch it. The advantage of doing this practically is that we can literally shoot thousands of images, which meant once we had our hero image, we kept shooting and got endless varieties out of each set-up. We wanted to create a whole library of images that can be used throughout multiple Windows applications.

The Windows logo is a true icon. Using the best techniques available, we wanted to re-envision this classic image, defining what makes Windows 10 so forward thinking and accessible. We think our live action images will stand the test of time, placing this logo in a class of its own within the physical world.

Only one of the 3000 photos made it out and became the iconic Windows 10 wallpaper we all love. However, other shots are also stunning; you can find them on the official Gmunk website.

It’s almost unbelievable that the default Windows 10 wallpaper required such an immense effort to produce. With the advent of AI capable of generating high-definition wallpapers with a single command, it’s unlikely we’ll witness a similar endeavor.

In other news, Microsoft is bringing new AI-themed wallpapers for the new ARM AI PCs with Windows 11 24H2; you can read about them here.

Which wallpaper do you like Windows 10 or Windows 11? Share your opinions with our readers in the comments section below.