The Big Picture

The research field is the creation of high definition digital panoramic photography using a variety of image capture and processing techniques in experimental combinations and using a single lens position. Sponsors were Leaf, Calumet and Bayeaux.

A sliding adapter on a 5x4 camera was combined with a Leaf Valeo digital back to be able to create an exceptionally large and high-resolution digital image. Techniques involved tracking the digital back in upright position taking three images which would later be stitched together on a computer (REAL VIX Stitcher) to make a composite panorama.

‘The Big Picture’ is a large format digital photograph (102 million pixels) of London’s Canary Wharf (Gas Street Canal Basin) in which the image was captured within the coverage of an immobile camera lens. It was made by the researcher as a new exhibit for the ‘London’s Lost and Found Riverscape’ exhibition (from 1999) at City Hall.

The Tower of London authorities permitted the photograph to be taken from its riverside walkway on February 24th 2004. ‘The Big Picture’ had its initial public exposure at ‘The Focus on Imaging’ exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC (February 2004) as a seven foot long ink jet panorama sponsored and printed by Bayeaux in order for the company to test it on the ink jet printing market.