How I Made a 1,474-Megapixel Photo During President Obama’s Inaugural Address
January 22, 2009 by David Bergman
Update: ** CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PRINTS OF MY INAUGURATION PHOTO. **
Wow.
I covered my first inauguration and what an inauguration it was.
Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States in a ceremony on the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
Before Tuesday, I had photographed five presidents and covered big events including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and concerts like Live 8 and Live Earth.
But this one was the biggest.
It deserved a big photo.
I made a panoramic image showing the nearly two million people who watched President Obama’s inaugural address. To do so, I clamped a Gigapan Imager to the railing on the north media platform about six feet from my photo position. The Gigapan is a robotic camera mount that allows me to take multiple images and stitch them together, creating a massive image file.
My final photo is made up of 220 Canon G10 images and the file is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels. It took more than six and a half hours for the Gigapan software to put together all of the images on my Macbook Pro and the completed TIF file is almost 2 gigabytes.
Use the controls to zoom and pan around the photo. You can also double click to zoom in and double click again to get even closer.
(If you’re reading this via email or RSS, you may not see the embedded flash player above. Click here to view it on my blog. Additionally, you can view the panorama full screen or on the Gigapan site.)
Since people move around slightly as the photos are taken, there are a few small glitches in the image. The software did a fantastic job, however, and there is amazing detail when you zoom all the way in.
I’ve only just started to explore the photo myself, but I found Yo-Yo Ma taking a picture with his iPhone.
If there’s enough interest, I might make the image available as a large print. I’ll write another post in the next few days showing some of the more traditional photos I shot, but they’re only a “measly” 12-megapixels each.
Update: ** CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PRINTS OF MY INAUGURATION PHOTO. **
This is HOTT!!!!! LOVE IT! I’m forwarding to everyone
Great Job! Love it. Amazing. Glad I found your blog. I can learn a lot from you. Keep up the good work! I’ll be posting about your and this Great Pano at http://kentbeatty.com.
I have been lost in this picture ever since I found the link. Gonna look for Obi Wan – found all the others – Yo Yo Ma, Perlman, Gores, Carters. The Supremes are a sour bunch. Why is limbaugh that close to our President?
A defining record of a defining moment in history! A great achievment. like all photographers, I can hear you telling yourself: “if only I had 4GB data from 440 image…”
Keep them coming.
Sridhar
A-W-E-S-O-M-E.
Br1
Cool, but it’s actually 1.474 *billion* pixels, not trillion. 1 million pixels x 1,474 = 1.474 billion.
Is that Chief Justice Clarence Thomas taking a snooze just behind President Obama and up a few faces?
compadre, la kgo xD
David – EXCELLENT!
(btw, could you Photoshop me into the empty chair next to Colin Powell? Thanks! heheh)
What a beautiful day to be in America! And even more so to have technology on the very edge. What can I say? But Wow!
That is freakin’ AWESOME!!!
This is an awesome picture… is there a way i can get the actual multi-gig picture file from you?
simply incredible wow wow wow i’m a big fan of great photos and i must say this is hmmmmmmm i need a word better than amazing it’s simply astonishing……….. u need to do some more work like this ………..
Hi, great work. So I assume that different sections then of this photo were taken many seconds or even minutes apart since it takes awhile for the device to move around and wait for the camera shutter for each photo, is that correct? That’s perhaps why some people are applauding while other sections of audience are not…
A MISTAKE…
A PURPLE GIRL WITH A BABY ON HIS ARMS…
SHE’S UNDER OBAMA…
You can also see all of the news media tents set up with live coverage with people in them if you zoom way in towards the middle, in the right third of the photo on the top of the wide building with tall vertical windows (to the right of what looks like a big glass dome on another building.
Cool!!!!!!!!!!
Selling large prints is a good idea. A great idea would be to create a standalone version of the flash file so people can download it…Or an iPhone app. I would surely pay few bucks to have that on my Mac or iPhone. Great Job by the way it is an amazing image of an amazing day.
Wow, very nicely done. Way to go! This is an awesome capture, Thanks for sharing with us all!
Is it just me or does it look like Bush is typing on a Blackberry? Maybe he’s updating his myspace or something.
“Status: Not president n e more. Mood: Upset”
Just amazing and have no words to describe your creativity!
Truly amazing.
I can’t help wondering if President Obama is (yet) aware of it and has contacted you? He’s a tech-head so he’ll appreciate it.
Yes, I was just thinking that it looked like Bush was checking his texts in a disappointed way, or maybe playing tetris.
Amazing technical feat! I am honestly thoroughly awestruck! Pure ingenuity!
WHERE’S WALLY?!
This is just awesome! Since I am a Blue ticket holder who did not get in, this is particularly interesting and an IMPORTANT shot! I have included this link as well as attached my photos from the “other side” as evidence for my observations/statements made in emails/letters to the PIC, JCC, my Congressman and several on-line media blogs and Facebook blog in the ‘Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom’ group. Thanks so much for doing such MAGNIFICENT work!!!
Hi David,
Congratulations to your gigapan pano… it is so much better than the crowd-sourced microsoft silverlight version. well done, and all the praise you are receiving is well deserved.
Nice Job! Reminds me of the time when I worked with similar equipment for whole earth composites that are like childs play compare to Google Earth now.
I found Oprah! Unfortunately, all you can see is her hands, lap and handbag. She and Stedman are obscured behind the white TV tower. They are in the front row of the second section behind the fence. Her coat is a beige color and is full length. Zoom in to the left most leg of the central white TV tower. She is three seats in from the aisle, sitting next to two women–one has bright red-orange hair, sunglasses.
Looks like Magic’s head and Ted turner maybe to the right a few seat over, but also partially blocked by the TV tower.
Great Picture! If you look closely, Justice Clarence Thomas is sleeping (or nodding off)! I didn’t see a Pepsi can in his hand either.
I think the economic stimulas has already started for you. And you deserve it! This picture is amazing and you could market it in a million different packages. Look at all the people you can actually make out. Ask yourself how many of them would pay good money to have a large overall print and then a closeup print of themselves at this historic event. They paid to get their, they stood in the freezing cold for hours, they would love this picture. I love this picture and I wish I could just enjoy looking at all the faces forever but I hope it is protected from other people stealing it off this site. If it is, this is a good way to advertise. You should really look into selling this. Give this it’s own website and put together a price list. Market it, see if you can find Oprah and call her to see if she wants to buy this, give her a discount if she’ll have you on her show. Go to the MySpace group for Barak Obama and let them know this exists. Or go to the big dogs, the Democatic party and market through them.
Oh and text books or educational websites. This should really be in a museum at some point.
Simply amazing ,even better than CNN’s photo technology.
Is Anderson Cooper checking out his junk?
So What’s up with Aretha Franklin and her photoshopped on head? The guy who was sitting in front got his head cut off at the jaw.
What a great photo !! I just found a pair of legs without a body !! Thank you for sharig this photo with us.
MAGNIFICENT PHOTO!
I was zooming and panning around… is Clarence Thomas asleep?
just an FYI – Coretta Scott King is deceased.
You would think that Aretha Franklin would notice The Invisible Man sitting right in front of her.
Most famous person sleeping: Clarence Thomas.
Scariest person: About 4 or 5 rows back from the Supreme Court members is that Death guy from Ingmar Berman’s “The Seventh Seal”.
In the photographer’s section right in front of the camera and to the left, see if you can spot the Media Badge on one of them. Extra credit if you recognize her.
No words!!!! Speechless…
There he i s, I found waldo Right side third row from the back 20 seats down
First thing I noticed when I zoomed in was that Dick Cheney looks like an old Mob Boss in the wheelchair. This also shows that the “Blue” ticket area was pretty empty due to the locking of the gate. You can see the huge crowd of people a few blocks away. Good job, great photo.
Really cool. Of course it’s interesting! If nothing else, the people who are in the photo would be excited about. I was no where near there, but thanks to the pictures you shot, I feel like i was now!
Amazing… Simply Amazing.
I was zooming in and noticed one of the judges, that looked like he was sleeping during the address. Anyone else get that impression? Look directly behind Obama.
I only found one small imperfection. On the level above the band, there are only a handful of men standing around and one of them is missing the top of his head. Well i think it’s misplaced rather than missing. otherwise a beautiful photo.
Mr. Bergman, this is an amazing photograph. I would suggest that instead of making prints (which wouldn’t be bad) offer the photo with the zooming features on a cd. Possibly going so far as to set up another site where people who have purchased the cd could email back that they found themselves and post it on the site!!
It would make a great game if you could compile a list of all the famous faces in the crowd.
Awesome job!!!
awesome pic! u can even see the people on top of that red castle looking building! but it would be cool if u could add some sorta hot spot buttons or markers that show where certain people, like celebrities, are located at.
really cool thank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yes i did see a few people sleeping he!!!!!!!! he!!!!!!!!!!! that is what made this so cool !!!!!!!! at least no one was picking their nose like i see at red lights when i drive !!!!!!!! yucko !!!!!!!!!!!!
Truly Amazing. I have looked at GeoEye satellite pict but does not get the half-meter res that is claimed! Pity there was not GiGaPans of the rest of Mall or Parade scene. Great technology! CJ
Great Work!
This could be the ultimate “Where’s Waldo” picture.
This is an INSANELY cool photo. What a great way to commemorate such a historic day! Really FANTASTIC job! I’ll be looking for prints of your work!
I would love to buy this image. I am in the crowd in the picture, and I would love to cover a wall with this memory.
Maybe some tech-inclined person could make this image taggable so people could come to a site find and tag themselves in the pic
Just great I enjoyed playing around and looking at all the people.Isn’t our technology great?
It’s cool but dangerous, too! Now we need to take care with we doing and going to.
Did anyone number how many people there are in the picture?
This is an amazing photo and an amazing technological achievement. But even this huge photo of the crowd does not come close to showing everyone who was there. There were thousands more people beyond the Washington Monument, all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial who are not captured on this photo. Plus there were all the people along the right hand edge of the mall, just out of view of this camera.
This is AMAZING…..I see that part of ARETHA FRANKLINS FACE is some guy with a beard and a hat is floating in front of her face………IS CLARENCE THOMAS SLEEPING……I CANT FIND OPRAH STEDMAN OR GAYLE…..WHERE R THEY?????????????…………….STILL AMAZING PHOTO………..
WHERE IS THE HIP HOP MOGUL?……………I READ IN ANOTHER COMMENT…MAYBE I NEED TO PUT MY GLASSES ON AND LOOK AGAIN…..LOL…….AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING DAVID
Absolutely Genious. If this was achieved, so too can a stable economy be achieved. I Love America.
It seems that history was made in more ways than one! I actually read/skimmed ALL of these comments, and 2 things that struck me were that only about 3 comments were negative, and that any number of people noticed that Clarence Thomas was was nodding off- shame on him!
Better fix the bottom left corner alignment before printing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely astounding, I actually found myself in this photo. Fantastic work. Let me know when it’s available.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one is worth about ten million words. The amount of detail captured is amazing, and I found myself spending about an hour just scrolling around the picture looking at the reactions of those in attendance. The only thing I was bummed about was that another lens blocked out the area around the base of the Washington Monument, so I couldn’t get a good look at the crowds at that end of the Mall.
I am definitely looking forward to this being released as a print, because I’d love to have this on my wall.
highly experieneced photographer i ‘m very astoshed to see myself among the crowds.thanks a lot
Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Simply stunning!
Your photo brought tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart; thank you.
there’s an interesting visual artifact a few rows behind former president Bush… the black woman with a bow on her head has a hat floating in front of her… some sort of stitching error with the gentleman in front of her.
This is beautiful. Kudos.
Fantastic photo. Really cool and it makes me laugh to see Clarence Thomas sleeping (see the third person to the left of Barak Obama)
Check out Clarence Thomas (sitting with the other Justices behind Obama). It looks like he’s sleeping.
i saw p diddy beyonce and jay-z
you have a great equipment, David! the right man on the right place in the right moment…
Masterpiece unfolded!!!
Bravo!!
The image perfection is nowhere compromised. This is what so special about the image. Viewers please see the tomb. There you will realize the sharpness of the image and the quality perspective stitched with technology. All praises…
GREAT, AWESOME job!!
You should photoshop WALDO in there and make the biggest Wheres Waldo image
World Record right there!
(If only someone out there actually dressed as Wheres Waldo lol
Nice shot of Clarence Thomas who appears to be catching some zzzz’s. LOL. Great photo.
Simply superb
You seriously seriously seriously need to take these images and dump them into Microsoft Photosynth.
I guarantee the results will be equally as mindblowing. This kind of data is exactly what that thing handles best.
Thank you David for sharing…….
Theres a marine with 2 mouths.
This is a awesome picture.
This is awesome! I’m soooo disappointed. My daughter and I are blocked by the camera! Is there anyway to override or obtain another view. I see exactly where we were sitting and all of the people around us but several people on our row are not visible due to the camera equipment. Any suggestions? She would LOVE to see herself in this crowd.
Clarence Thomas looks a little sleepy….
So is it the camera’s (5.0) zoom or the multitude of pictures (and resulting megapixels) that allows us to zoom in to subjects so far away?
Hi David,
Great Image. I recently bought the Giga Pan system but I never thought of doing what you did.
well done.
I would like to invite you to join the International association of Panoramic Photographers.(250 Members)
We hope to some day be all things Panoramic. a number of our members have the Giga Pan system and I would like to organize a group Project this year. we are planning a workshop at the Balloon festival in Albuqurque this fall and that might be the place to do the Project
Regards,
IAPP president
Fran Stetina
lol i found tupac(or someone that looks like him ALOT)hes kinda near the middle of the square on the right hand side by some military personel, have a look for yourself
Congratulations David. That is a stunning photograph. I’ll be registering for when it is available to buy.
EXCELLENT !
Hugs: The cat
Thank you SO much for this incredible tribute to an historic event none of us will ever forget! The beautiful detail in this presentation tells MANY stories, not only of the millions who braved the cold to be there on that wonderful day but also of those who helped to make it happen and, for the first time in our lives, participated in promoting an Administration with the potential to lift us up to our fullest potential.
What an AWESOME contribution!!! God Bless YOU!!!
That’s an amazing photo – good work.
I found it interesting that I couldn’t spot a single non-white person in the band at Obama’s feet.
This is an awesome photo! Well done David! PS: s there any way I can get the actual photo file?
Bill & Hillary and Bush senior and Martha are 4 rows behind W. Just look at what Hillary is looking at.
Also, W. seems to be playing with his Blackberry
Simply wonderful
Found the sleeping guy…just to the left/lower end of the greenisch camera-arm covering half the photo, so about in the middle of the photo…
there’s a guy with a double face….and a floating bowler hat, just like magritte, it’s surreal. this is more fun than ‘where’s waldo’.