Inauguration Gigapan Prints Now Available
January 27, 2009 by David Bergman
** CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PRINTS OF MY INAUGURATION PHOTO. **
For more information, send a blank email to pano [at] davidbergman [dot] net.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is not sleeping.
President Bush is not sending a text message.
Yes, Oprah Winfrey is blocked by a camera tower.
We’re still looking for Waldo.
Just wanted to clear that up.
Covering the inauguration of President Obama was one of the biggest thrills of my life. Little did I know that it would be topped by the reaction to a photo I made that day.
Unless you’ve been away from a computer for the last week, you’ve probably already seen the Gigapan image I created during the inaugural address. With the ability to zoom in and move around the photo, it turned into an international game of “Where’s Waldo.”
In the first 5 days, the image was viewed by more than 2 million people in 186 countries. I’ve now seen my name in Russian and on a Japanese web site.
I did an interview on CNN and the resulting web traffic brought my site down for the rest of day.
I’m happy to announce that prints are now available for purchase. I’ve partnered with Pictopia to handle the large format printing of this historic photo. (Update: smaller prints and custom images are now available from my new print site.)
There are three sizes available – 3 feet wide (36 X 18 inches), 4 feet wide (48 X 24 inches), and a whopping 8 feet wide (96 X 48 inches). Contact me through my portfolio site if you want to special order something even bigger. For editorial or commercial licensing, please contact Corbis.
To make the print, I asked talented panoramic photographer Ron Pepper to compile a new version and fix the handful of stitching errors found in the web version.
I can’t thank everyone enough for all of the enthusiastic comments, emails, and Facebook notes I’ve received about the image. The wild thing is that I almost didn’t shoot it.
I was covering the inauguration for Corbis and had all of my normal photo gear with me — three Nikon camera bodies and five lenses including my favorite – the 200-400 zoom. I normally use a roller bag, but with the anticipated crowds, I decided to use the Thinktank Shape Shifter backpack. It’s a fantastic bag, but it was heavy.
I knew that I wanted to make a wide, panoramic shot of the crowd in addition to my traditional coverage. I brought the Gigapan Epic with me to D.C., but really didn’t know if I had room to carry more gear.
At the last minute, I decided to strap it to my waist using the Thinktank Skin Chimp Cage and pro speed belt. I don’t believe the designers at Thinktank knew that the “skin chimp” would be the perfect size for a Gigapan.
After a cab ride with Peter Turnley, three security checkpoints, and a lot of walking, I was finally in my photo position. I was in the very back row of the platform, standing on a chair behind an AOC photographer. She was nice enough to allow me to attach the Gigapan to the railing next her.
The unit takes a series of overlapping images one at a time. In this case, I set it to shoot a grid that was 20 photos wide by 11 photos down. It took about 15 minutes to complete.
During the event, I made it through 4 1/2 sets of photos before the batteries died. For the final image, I used all 157 frames from my fifth set and 63 frames from the fourth to complete the entire scene.
I sure am glad I brought the Gigapan with me.
So, what’s next? I’m out of town for two jobs that have been booked for months. First, I’m working with Drew Carey and the Improv All-Stars to document their show in Las Vegas.
Then, on Sunday, I fly to Miami to get on the annual Barenaked Ladies rock cruise. I’m the band’s tour photographer, so I’ll be presenting a photo seminar on board and posting pics to TourPhotographer.com.
Every year I shoot a group naked photo of the band with their fans. Last time we had nearly 1,000 people.
I think I’ll refrain from using the Gigapan for that one.
Below are some of my other images from Monday and Tuesday.
The photo is fantastic. But only one thing, look at this http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4782/piespw1.jpg
Greetings
does the print come with the text on it?
I would be much more inclined to buy the print without the text saying “the inauguration …. “
thanks!
theo
I am drawn to this incredible photo and have it up on my computer at work. I grab people and say “Look at this!!” Then I point to that jumbotron way over on the left and tell those who are not sick of me yet–“I am standing right there!”. Thanks for the fun and rememberance. I hope to be ordering a copy, when I get my shekles sorted out.
Oops–not enough coffee this am–jumbotron on the right side of the pic.
Dear David:
While I am not a fan of the new President and did not vote for him, I was very impressed with your panographic of the inauguration and the amazing clarity of the images. I did’t realize that a 1,400+
megapixel photo could be made this way. This photo opens up a lot of possibilities for the coverage
of large events. I relly learned a lot from the photo and instuctions on how it was made. You did a
great job!
The photo is available with and without the logo.
David, Unbelievable! My father is a freshman congressman who has been on the job only 3 weeks when he found himself without a seat in the normal congressional seating way behind the president and was placed in an open seat only 10 rows up from the President by the Secret Service. I have found him in your picture and have captured an incredibly clear shot of him at top of picture and Pres. Obama in the bottom right corner. Is there ANY WAY I could get a copy of that cropped image? I would LOVE to surprise him with this – please tell me how I can do this!!
Hello, David! I’m Leonardo, from Brazil, and I work for a technology magazine called INFO. We just loved your photo and want to publish about it on the magazine of February. But we need a hi-resolution image, we can’t use a low resolution cap from a printscreen. The closure of the February edition is today, if you can send me a copy of that image – not the 2gb archive, of course, just a better image – we would love to publish about it. Please, send me an email: DeCryptX(‘mfpobsep/nbsujotAbcsjm/dpn/cs’)”]leonardo [dot] martins [at] abril [dot] com [dot] br. Thanks!
this image is absolutely freaking unbelievable … I’ve seen thousands upon thousands upon thousands images in my life and this one is in my Top 5 most memorable … just an insanely awesome image … congrats on capturing and conveying history!
Great work David and thanks for the extra details. I’ve been interested in the gigapan since the first beta and have been waiting for it to available. Looks like your coverage has helped them shift into gear, or it is just great timing. I’m not sure if I’m most shocked at the speed it managed to complete a pass in or that you have found someone to fix those stitching errors – that’s one big job!
Amazing work… thanks a lot for all the details. I wrote about your great work in my Persian weblog. Cheers
Hey dude, glad you are getting the recognition for your work. Not that you weren’t a super star before. It is an awesome image.
Steven
GREAT JOB!!! HAVE YOU DONE ANY HDR’S THIS WAY!! OR CAN IT BE DONE! I LOVE TO SEE THEM IF YOU HAVE.
Care to comment on what camera/lens combination was mounted on the gigapan? That would be interesting to know.
Great photo!
Thanks for all your great work!
I think your photos are really and I do pray you grow the heights you want to be and beyond. I will also pray God will grant you all of your heart desires according to His Perfect Plan and Wonderful Will. Many of us who did not attend the inauguration only had you to rely on for photos. I do appreciate you for sharing your photos.
Peppise
You did a wonderful job, fabulous! but where are my photos? Gallery 0598
@Mark Millard
Im sure i read somewhere that a G10 was used. What I cant seem to find out is what focal length the images were shot.
How does one calculate the focus to match the overlap requirements for the grid?
As has been said already, this panorama and the technology are amazing … great job David!! I have heard of the technology and taken a brief look at it a few months back … sounded a bit beyond my comprehension. I was wondering … are the 220 individual images available for viewing anywhere?
Amazing picture, congrats David. Just a quick question: did you use only the Canon G10 with the Gigapan device to make the photo? Cheers.
What a spectacular job! You are truly wonderful to share your work with the world. When I get paid this month I do plan to place my order. I thank you for your kindess because you could have kept this wonderful piece of art to yourself and extended family.
Realize I’m late to the party, but I see others are also curious about the hardware… You said in the previous post that you used “220 Canon G10 images” — but you say here that you brought 3 Nikon bodies and link to the Nikkor 200-400mm zoom, and make no mention of the Canon.
I’d believe that you brought 4 bodies, but why have you segregated the brands into two posts this way? Did Nikon get upset they didn’t get a mention? Or was there really no Canon?
Curious.
Great pictures David! Greetings from Germany.
GigaPan Epic [...] incredible panoramic photo of Barack Obama’s inauguration, taken by New York photographer David Bergman and described on his blog. (He’s offering prints of the image, too.) [...]
In what order is the grid of photos taken?
There is a man four rows in back of President Bush that looks like his head is cut off at the top…is that from a bug in the software?? Awesome photo!
You are really unselfish artist because you share this wonderful photo with the world , not for money only.
Thanks
Any chance you know of one taken from the other side of the Cap? I know I’d be easily visible except for the camera on the way right side of your pic. Such a bummer!
Breathtakingly beautiful!
Thank You
david – wow! i’m sure you don’t remember me, this is lindsey, i’m todd wright’s girlfriend, todd played with pat mcgee a few years ago. i stumbled on this from a fellow obama supporter and saw the photographer’s name… WOW!!!!! i was there that day too and all i can say to that is… WOW!!!! congrats on this success, among the mass amounts of other success you’re having. i hope you and your wife and your little girl are all doing well. best wishes! – lindsey
Congratulations,new life..
These photos are mint !!! Love the one wear bush is glancing over at Obama !! Really catches the moments !
Congrats David. The best photo I have seen till date…
I was wondering if you had photos of this picture taken from the opposite side