The Gigapxl Project, initiated late in the year 2000 under the impetus of retired physicist

Graham Flint Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan Gr ...

, is a

large format Large format refers to any imaging format of or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the or size of Hasselblad, Mamiya, Rollei, Kowa, and Pentax cameras (using 120- and 220-roll film), and much larger than the frame o ...

landscape photography Landscape photography shows the spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes ...

and ultrahigh-resolution scanning and printing technology, developed around custom-built Gigapxl cameras and modern digital scanning and printing equipment and software. Image size on Roll Film is 18″ × 9″ (450 mm × 225 mm), scanned at 5000 dpi giving a resolution of 4

Gigapixel A gigapixel image is a digital image bitmap composed of one billion (109) pixels (picture elements), 1000 times the information captured by a 1 megapixel digital camera. A square image of 31,623 pixels in width and height is one gigapixel. Cur ...

(4,000 Megapixel). Results can be described in one way as a 4

(4,000 Megapixel) image that has dimensions of 10 x 20 ft - with 3 Megapixel sharpness over included 4 x 6 inch areas. The Project's near-term goal (last stated in 2007) is to "compile a coast-to-coast "Portrait of America"; photographing in detail, cities, parks and monuments of the US and Canada". A stated longer-term goal relates to an effort to document thousands of cultural and archaeological sites around the world which cannot be preserved and which inevitably will deteriorate with the passage of time. A prime example can be found in the city of Rome, Italy. Rome's limestone structures, which have stood for thousands of years, have become victims of

acid rain Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...

. Until quite recently, stonemasons' tool-marks were clearly visible, yet now they have all but vanished. Ultrahigh-resolution, documentary photography can preserve such details for future generations. In August 2007,

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

began incorporating Gigapxl photographic information into

Google Earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

. Their official website is no longer operational.

References

External links

Official website
(defunct)
Photographer Seeks Resolution

Wired News ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fran ...

article
Physicist Graham Flint is working on an ultra-high-resolution portrait of America
Digital photography 2000 in technology {{camera-stub