The artwork seen on the banner for iOS 8 at WWDC 2014 has been discovered on stock photo site GreenBox Art, revealing where Apple sourced the image.

water_rays

"Water Rays" artwork by Christopher Ross

Titled "Water Rays", the photo was taken by artist Christopher Ross, who is noted as being the principal photographer for National Geographic Channel's "Expedition Great White/ Shark Men" special and taking a particular interest in depicting marine life. The artwork itself is available to purchase for $139 on a 30x20 premium canvas.

ios8bannerhanging

The banner displaying the artwork

The banner utilizing the artwork was first seen last week inside of the Moscone Center, as Apple will reveal iOS 8 for the first time during its WWDC keynote later today. iOS 8 is expected to retain the same general look as iOS 7, offering refinements along with new features including a new "Healthbook" app, new TextEdit and Preview apps, and possible improvements to both Siri and Maps.

Apple will be live streaming the event both on its website and on the Apple TV. MacRumors will also be providing a live blog, live tweets via the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, and a spoiler-free page for those who want to watch the full keynote afterward.

Top Rated Comments

ohbrilliance Avatar
153 months ago

This is just another symptom of Apple's inevitable decline.

With all due respect, what a load of twaddle.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mangomind Avatar
153 months ago
Awesome photo. I like it.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
153 months ago
A nice photo, to be sure.

But it's pretty lazy/ordinary of Apple to be using stock photography off the web for such an important banner. In the good old days, a specially commissioned team of photographers would have been dispatched to capture the perfect images for a new OS release.

This is just another symptom of Apple's inevitable decline.
I absolutely agree. I've always expected these photos to be from Steve or Cooks private vacations. And all those friendly people shown in Aperture/iPhoto/Mail demos are most likely not of their real friends or family after all. How could anyone have expected otherwise? I will never believe a keynote presentation anymore.

Apple is doomed for sure.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Phazer Avatar
153 months ago
Ps. Macrumors should reach out to the photographer for comment.

"Yes, the cheque did cash, thank you."
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McFreggle Avatar
153 months ago
This is just another symptom of Apple's inevitable decline.

Oh man, really??? What a load of ***

One example: The Lion Apple used wasn't shot by Steve Jobs or one of his fantastic Apple photographers. It was also... stock photography.

As a matter of fact, the Lion was previously used by a Belgian far-right political party...





So really. If you want to keep shouting "APPLE IS DOOMED" then by all means: do so. But don't bother us with it.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SmoMo Avatar
153 months ago
cattaphobe

Oh man, really??? What a load of ***

One example: The Lion Apple used wasn't shot by Steve Jobs or one of his fantastic Apple photographers. It was also... stock photography.

As a matter of fact, the Lion was previously used by a Belgian far-right political party...

Image (http://www.thomasgeeraerts.be/wp-content/uploads/vlaamsekracht.jpg)

Image (http://www.apple4ever.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/osx-lion-01.jpg)

So really. If you want to keep shouting "APPLE IS DOOMED" then by all means: do so. But don't bother us with it.

THAT'S NOT THE SAME LION !!
Man, they just all the same to you right?
You're like a racist, but for lions.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...