Gorgeous Hokkaido Blue Pond on OS X Mountain Lion

OS X Mountain Lion (released in July) included a beautiful background wallpaper showing a tranquil blue pond with trees coming out of the water and snow in the air.  This image was shot in Hokkaido near the town of Biei at "Blue Pond" and won an honorable mention in National Geographic’s 2011 photo contest.  Japanese photographer Kent Shiraishi captured the first snow in October and is very moved by all the attention and the fact that Apple is showcasing it.  Thousands of tourists photograph the lake every year, but not usually so late in the year as the lake does freeze over in the winter.  Still, there are also many other beautiful images of this body of water. 

• http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2011 or
• http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/photography/photos/best-pod-november-2011/blue-pond-japan/