When I started off submitting photographs to social media outlets, Flickr was my first choice. My first post on Flickr was on the 1st October 2005 and since then I have posted many times. There is still much exctitement when your picture gets selected to feature in “Explore”. The number of views increases and your likes go through the roof. The Flickr algorithm is a closely guarded secret and there is much speculation on how it works. I was therefore pleasantly surprised that one of my recent black and white photographs got featured. The picture is of Knowle Park in the village where I live. The picture has had in excess of 10 thousand views and over 200 likes. It is more satisfying due to the fact that it is several months since my last explore. So in celebration I have featured my first explore picture, my most popular explore and also the highest ranking one (which got to #1).

My first ever Flickr picture taken in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2005)
My first Explore picture (2012) a macro of a saw blade
This picture was ranked #1 (October 2, 2014) and is of St Philip’s Cathedral

Here is the complete list of my explore photographs for you.

20190506_Knowle Park, 2. 20181118_Family Picture, 3. 20181103_Sun Yat-sen Memorial Nanjing, 4. 36-Close-up picture of a complete stranger, 5. 20180720_Mailbox at Night, 6. 17_Monochromatic Color, 7. 20180415-Noah 1st birthday party, 8. 201803128_St Paul’s Church,
11 Colour Wheel, 10. 20180224_On the Phone, 11. 20171212-Sunrise-Breakfast, 12. 20171122-Gas Street Blue, 13. 20171027-Chloe Arrives, 14. 41st Week – Its all in the Game, 15. 20171004-Moor to New St commute, 16. 20170908-Friday reflections,
20170804-End of the day, 18. 26th Week – Submerged., 19. 20170525_Manchester Town Hall, 20. 9th Week – Light Painting, 21. 7th Week – Love, 22. 2nd Week – New Year Resolution, 23. 29112916_Ignoring the sunrise, 24. Week forty six: Theme DIY,
20161110_Night on Campus, 26. Week Forty Three – Round Peg in a Square Hole, 27. Week 40 – Frame within a Frame, 28. 20160918_Green, 29. Week Thirty Five – hyperfocal, 30. 20160805_Bassenthwaite Lake, 31. 20160709_Rest and Play, 32. Week twenty three – Looney Leap,
20160528_Sun on the buildings, 34. Week Fourteen – Chiaroscuro, 35. 20160321_Ring of Sunshine, 36. 20160310_Spirit of Birmingham, 37. 20160302_Snow in Leeds, 38. 20160212_Sunny Canon Street, 39. 20160201_Demolition, 40. 20151230_Skeleton of a leaf_macro,
20151217_Tree and tram, 42. 20151203_Oxford Circus, 43. 20151124_Martineau Place is ready, 44. 20151024_DentalShowcase, 45. 20151008_Morning lights, 46. 20150929_Grand Central Zoom, 47. 20150917_Selfridges abstract reflections, 48. 20150828_Light and Shadows,
20150818_Sunset Peljesac peninsula Coatia, 50. 20150803_Commuting, 51. 20150724_The Bone Ranger, 52. 20150715_Entrance to Great Hall, 53. 20150703_A bike too far, 54. 20150502_Ducking in Baddersley Clinton, 55. 20150429_Sunset in Knowle, 56. 20150423_Red and Pink,
20150413_Blue Mosque Detail, 58. 20150310_Back Bay view, 59. 141004_365_Brueton Park, 60. 141002_365_Cathedral on Fire, 61. 141001_365_Grand Union tow path, 62. 140930_365_Misty Joe, 63. 140929_365_Reach for the sky, 64. 140928_365_Towpath,
2014wk39_Selective Colour, 66. 140927_365_”Is the car stuck?”, 67. 140926_365_Bee in the Garden, 68. 140925_365_Minories biking, 69. 140924_365_Graffiti SnowHill, 70. 140922_365_Iron Man meets the morning sun, 71. 140920_365_Red Pipes Red Bricks, 72. 140919_365_Joe and the trees
140917_365_Bench on Campus, 2. 140912_365_Mid morning, 3. 140911_365_BrumRise over Aston, 4. 140910_365_Dorridge Station, 5. 140908_365_Edgbaston Street, 6. 2014wk36_Smoke, 7. 140718_365_Outside looking in, 8. 140717_365_A long corridor,
140715_365_Degree Day, 10. 140715_365_Spire in the trees, 11. 140714_365_Sky over St Chad’s Cathedral, 12. 140713_365_Empress of Britain, 13. 140712_365_Back home, 14. 140710_365_Dublin reflection, 15. 140710_365_Dublin Another view, 16. 140710_365_Dublin evening,
140707_365_30Years, 18. 140702_365_One night in Dorridge, 19. 140701_365_Bench in the sunshine, 20. 2014wk19_Landscape, 21. 140507_365_Night in Birmngham, 22. 140427_365_Clearing, 23. 140424_365_Walking to Trinity, 24. 140419_365_Champegg Dog,
140223_365_Snowdrops, 26. 140222_365_The moon is caught, 27. 140221_365_St Paul’s and BT, 28. 1410218_365_Queensway Silhouettes, 29. 1410217_365_Going down the stairs, 30. 1410216_365_Cube loving people, 31. 1410215_365_Sunset, 32. 2014Wk07_Love,
131216_365_St Martins, 34. 131211_365_Church on High Street, 35. 131209_365_Start of a good day, 36. 131009_365_Autumn starts, 37. 131008_365_Tutorial Room, 38. 131006_365_Mountain Biking, 39. 131005_365_Morning Sun, 40. 1307030_365_Found a Friend,
130513_365_Walk to the light, 42. 130316_365_Farmers Market Seattle, 43. 130314_365_Road in shadows, 44. 130313_365_Railings, 45. 130104_365_Good Morning, 46. 130102_365_Waiting4food, 47. 130101_365_River Leam, 48. 238_365_SunStreet,
214_365_saw2

My recollections of Riyadh from my first visit in 1996 were hazy. I remember it being very hot with many white buildings. Here I was back in Riyadh for a second time (third to Saudi Arabia). What I first noticed is that there is great deal more traffic around than before. It is difficult to get a feel for the city initially and my first morning and afternoon were taken up with meetings. The fun started at lunchtime and then re-continued at dinner as I soon discovered that the Saudis love their food. The evening food was served on the floor which was an experience especially for my knees which were very stiff when I stood up.

The food served on the floor was fit for a kingdom

Day two of the trip was a recharging of batteries and after early morning meetings, it was catch up in the hotel. Passing the time of day and ceiling was worth photographing as the picture shows

Hotel ceiling

Both Universities that I visited on day three of the trip were situated in large expansive campuses. King Saud is a well established university and the architecture is impressive. Long outside corridors which are so long that there are mini-mokes available to assist you. Luckily the weather was reasonable and cool. In fact later that day a dust storm hit the city and part of the time it was not advisable to have the camera out. Princess Nour University is a female only campus and again so vast that a monorail is provided for the female students to access all the departments. The hospital was again large (do you find there is a common theme here) and some of the architecture was just asking to be photographed.

The city goes on forever, the traffic is intense
Downtown Riyadh
Kong Suad University
Long Corridors
I love arabic coffee
Interesting styles
Restaurant with Saudi Symbol
Shopping area
Architecture on the Princess Noura University
Looking Up