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
152 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
152 months ago
Awesome photo. I like it.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
152 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
152 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
152 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
152 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

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...