Meet the photographer behind amazing desktop images of the Raspberry Pi

January 1, 2025

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Taken in Iceland, ‘Road’ is the most famous desktop image on Raspberry Pi devices.

Passing through a train station in New Zealand, Greg Annandale looks up to see his photo on the information screen. The Raspberry Pi powering the board is traced back to the computer desktop wallpaper that Annandale shot on a street in Iceland.

If you don’t know, the Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized device that has revolutionized computing over the last decade and has sold over 60 million units thanks to its adaptability and hackability. And on many of those computers are Annandale’s beautiful travel photos he shoots around the world.

A bustling railway station full of people walking in different directions. The ceiling is arched with metallic design. Signs and digital screens are displayed above, and workers wearing orange vests are visible among the passengers. — Annandale shown at Auckland’s Britomart train station in 2019.

A hot air balloon floats over the lush, ancient landscape of Bagan, Myanmar, with numerous temples and pagodas scattered among the greenery, set against a backdrop of misty morning with mountains in the distance. — ‘Balloon’

A fisherman stands on a bamboo boat on a calm river during the evening. He has a pole in his hand and a cormorant is also with him. A lantern hangs from the raft, casting a warm glow. Misty karst mountains rise in the background, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere. — ‘Fisherman’

Beautiful view of a valley with a tranquil lake surrounded by lush green trees and rocky hills. In the background, a glacier rests among snow-covered mountains under a partly cloudy sky. A boat is anchored in the lake. — ‘Fjord’

Night view of New York City with the illuminated Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground. Brightly lit skyscrapers, including the One World Trade Center tower, stand out prominently amid the cloudy sky at night. — ‘Bridge’

When? petapixel Asks Annandale how many people have seen his photos, he estimates it’s probably in the millions.

“It’s really hard to know,” he says. “With people using the devices as personal computers, many Raspberry Pi’s end up in schools, libraries and computer labs, as well as running information/kiosk displays in places like train stations and conference venues.”

A beautiful view of a black sand beach with tufts of green grass in the foreground, with high, cloud-covered mountains in the background. The sky is partly cloudy and blue spots are visible. — ‘Sand’

The image shows the Northern Lights with green and purple hues, illuminating the night sky over a mountainous landscape and calm waters. Snow partially covers the ground. — ‘Aurora’

A tranquil waterfall falls over dark, rocky shores covered with patches of green moss and grass. The water appears silky and smooth, and the surrounding foliage signals the beginning of autumn with hints of yellow and brown. — ‘waterfall’

Beautiful view of the Grand Canyon under a partly cloudy sky. Adjacent to the rocky terrain, a leafless tree stands prominently in the foreground, with a view of the vast valley in the background and shadows cast by clouds. — ‘Canyon’

When it comes to iconic desktop pictures, nothing competes Microsoft Windows XP bliss Taken by Charles O’Rear, it is considered the most viewed photograph in the world. However, the Raspberry Pi is often used in educational settings in youtube video Which has millions of views.

“It’s always special to see any photograph in these conditions,” says Annandale, who is visiting from the UK.

“I don’t think it’ll ever get old, and it’s always exciting to see them in use in the wild; seeing the Raspberry Pi-powered information screen (displaying the Iceland “street” image) during a trip is a particular favorite of Auckland in 2019 Britomart Train Station.”

The Iceland photo that Annandale mentioned is probably the most famous Raspberry Pi desktop image as it was the first photo wallpaper and was launched with a major upgrade of the operating system (OS).

A dramatic sunset over the water with the shadows of mountain peaks. The sun pierces the dense clouds and emits golden rays in the sky and reflects on the waves below. — ‘island’

A breathtaking sunset over the landscape of an ancient temple, the shadow of the pagoda against the golden sky. Dense greenery surrounds the temples, with rolling hills beneath a warm, glowing horizon in the background. — ‘Temple’

Night view of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, with its three towers and Sky Park, illuminated by green laser lights. The ArtScience Museum, shaped like a lotus, and the surrounding buildings are illuminated with red light that reflects on the water. — ‘Laser’

A beautiful view of a lighthouse situated on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea. The rugged green terrain leads to a majestic, cloud-covered mountain. Shimmering clouds in the blue sky enhance the captivating landscape. — ‘cliff’

travel photographer

Annandale works for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, an educational charity separate from Raspberry Pi’s business unit. He works in software engineering, creating educational programs for youth.

This means he is only a part-time photographer but he often travels for considerable periods of time when he works.

“Since around 2012 I have been shooting travel, landscape and campaign images on some level,” he explains.

“Recently, while travel time has been significantly reduced, I have focused more on objective image taking for science and documentary use (this has led to a Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society).”