# Help Me Pick Out A New Desktop Wallpaper **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164 "2010-05-29T10:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/1 "2010-05-29T10:17:52Z")
I’ve had my current one [this, but with a white background](http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/100825/Bullet%20Bill-500x375.png) for a few months and I’m getting tired of it. My last few have been a nice hi-res of [The School of Athens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_School_of_Athens), a hi-res of [the Lagoon Nebula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagoon_Nebula), and a shot of Saturn from Cassini during the 2009 equinox that I found from [Phil Plait’s site.](http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/) With that in mind, any suggestions? For classic video game screen shots, resolution isn’t a big deal (I had the beginning of 1-1 from Super Mario Brothers for the longest time), but with the other categories I like a sharp picture. My screen is a 11ish by 8ish laptop and I tend to stretch the images, rather than center them. (I have quite a few good astronomy, gaming, and animal pictures. If anyone’s interested, I’ll throw them onto photobucket to share.) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/2 "2010-05-29T18:08:18Z")
> **[Digital Blasphemy 3D Wallpaper](https://beta.digitalblasphemy.com/)** Some for sale, quite a few for free. Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/3 "2010-05-29T18:23:01Z")
Check out [Show Us Your (Monitor) Wallpaper](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=557161) for some ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/4 "2010-05-29T18:43:19Z")
I have to say that actually I usually just browse through the pics on my computer to pick a wallpaper. Sometimes I choose a Digital Blasphemy pic, but usually I don’t. Right now, I have a lovely picture of a field of bluebonnets (state flower of Texas), because it’s springtime set as my wallpaper. I don’t always tie the pic to the season, though. During the summer, I frequently have a snowscape or icescape as my wallpaper. For a long, long time I had a FFVII:AC pic of Sephiroth as the wallpaper. Come on, it’s SEPHIROTH! In hi res! I’ve also had maps of various FF game worlds, particularly FFVIII as my wallpaper…very handy when I’m replaying a game and want to quickly look up just WHERE that damned Chocobo Forest is. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/5 "2010-05-29T19:09:15Z")
I think this is the best site out there for this: [http://www.caedes.net/](http://www.caedes.net/) The space photographs are really good, and so are the created ones. Click on “computer” from the list on the left and scroll through some of the fractal and abstract creations. There are really good. Its a great site, and AFAICT, completely free. ---
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/6 "2010-05-29T23:37:11Z")
Thanks for the recommendations, I’m looking through them as we speak. Actually, that’s a lie. I looked a little earlier, then I came back to check some threads. In mere moments, however, I will be looking again! > [@Zeldar](#): > > Check out [Show Us Your (Monitor) Wallpaper](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=557161) for some ideas. The thread is _just_ old enough that I don’t feel guilty for starting this one. 😉 > [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > IFor a long, long time I had a FFVII:AC pic of Sephiroth as the wallpaper. Come on, it’s SEPHIROTH! In hi res! I’ve also had maps of various FF game worlds, particularly FFVIII as my wallpaper…very handy when I’m replaying a game and want to quickly look up just WHERE that damned Chocobo Forest is. I remember when I got my very first computer, I paid a friend a couple of dollars to download the picture of Sephiroth walking through the flames. It was, of course, the coolest wallpaper around. The world map idea is a great one; I think it’ll be even more useful on something like the Wild Arm series with all the hidden items sitting around. (BTW, if you haven’t played the series, I highly recommend it, especially the PS2 titles.) > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I think this is the best site out there for this: [http://www.caedes.net/](http://www.caedes.net/) > > The space photographs are really good, and so are the created ones. Click on “computer” from the list on the left and scroll through some of the fractal and abstract creations. There are really good. > > Its a great site, and AFAICT, completely free. Good suggestion. The landscapes are pretty nice, but some of the geometric ones are just awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/7 "2010-05-30T00:43:03Z")
> [@](#): > > The world map idea is a great one; I think it’ll be even more useful on something like the Wild Arm series with all the hidden items sitting around. (BTW, if you haven’t played the series, I highly recommend it, especially the PS2 titles.) Hmmmm, my PS2 is still connected to one TV, and it works just fine, and you and I seem to have similar game tastes, so I’ll try it out. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/8 "2010-05-30T06:23:20Z")
I recently changed from a plain blue background to a wallpaper of the Iceland volcano - mostly dark, but with lightning illuminating some of the plume. It’s awesome, but I don’t know where it is on the net. You could probably find it with a Google image search. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/9 "2010-05-30T08:00:50Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > …mostly dark, but with lightning illuminating some of the plume. It’s awesome, but I don’t know where it is on the net. One of [these](http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html), perhaps. Actually, [the Big Picture site](http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/) is great for stunning contemporary photos of world events. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/10 "2010-05-30T10:47:23Z")
Bunch here: [http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper\_beta/downloads/date/any/](http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper_beta/downloads/date/any/) My company also makes a desktop picture app based on certain real time data, but as I have a financial interest in it, I don’t think I can mention it here. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/11 "2010-05-30T17:19:27Z")
I love the Vladstudio wallpapers, at [Wallpapers · Vlad.studio](http://www.vladstudio.com/wallpapers/) Beautiful and often whimsical. Also, the photographer at Sensitive Light has some lovely pictures suitable for wallpaper. [This](http://sensitivelight.com/focusmerge/?id=95&size=xl) is my current workplace desktop. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/12 "2010-05-30T17:41:06Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > One of [these](http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html), perhaps. [This one](http://hellerbrittani.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/iceland-volcano-lightning-2_19114_600x450.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/13 "2010-05-30T19:54:19Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > I recently changed from a plain blue background to a wallpaper of the Iceland volcano - mostly dark, but with lightning illuminating some of the plume. It’s awesome, but I don’t know where it is on the net. You could probably find it with a Google image search. Is it the first picture from **GuanoLad** ’s first link? ‘Cuz that one made me rethink my position re: Thor and the other Norse gods’ existence. (For some reason, the picture doesn’t have its own link. If you can’t see it, it has a huge dark cloud sitting over the volcano streaked with reddish lightning and flecks of lava.) > [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Bunch here: > > [http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper\_beta/downloads/date/any/](http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper_beta/downloads/date/any/) > > My company also makes a desktop picture app based on certain real time data, but as I have a financial interest in it, I don’t think I can mention it here. The landscapes are pretty cool, but I think the animal pictures there are the real gems. I saved a few to use later, including the orangutan on the first page and a leopard a couple pages back. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/14 "2010-05-30T20:02:10Z")
Since you like astronomy pictures here is a link to Astronomy Picture of the Day. The picture is new each day and a right click and set to background will save it as wallpaper. You can also go to the archives and find many fabulous pictures going back quite far in time and space. > **[Astronomy Picture of the Day](https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html)** > > A different astronomy and space science > related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-out-a-new-desktop-wallpaper/541164/15 "2010-05-30T20:56:54Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > Since you like astronomy pictures here is a link to Astronomy Picture of the Day. The picture is new each day and a right click and set to background will save it as wallpaper. You can also go to the archives and find many fabulous pictures going back quite far in time and space. > > [Astronomy Picture of the Day](http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) I love that site, but they should do a subscription service for it - I’d love to get the APOD in my email every day.