Poynter picks up on an interesting photographic tool that, according to Amy Gahran, "could have significant implications for photojournalism, news sites, and any effort to share visual information or experiences".
Gigapan was developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University by combining very high-resolution panoramic camera images, software to process such high-resolution panoramas and then a website than can display the results. Examples include the Golden Gate Bridge, Vernal Falls in Yosemite national park and last summer's Burning Man festival.
It's interesting, but has nothing on the dazzling Photosynth project, developed at Microsoft Live Labs. For the full wow factor you need to watch this TED demo from May, but basically Photosynth stitches together static photos from across the web, identifies their content and location and allows them to be browsed three dimensionally.
The developer Blaise Aguera y Arcas shows a cathedral and zooms in again, and again, and again until he gets a details of a gargoyle. It's all done by compiling different people's photos and syncing them all. Stunning - and doesn't require any fancy robotic camera mounts or creak-resistant, high-res handling software.
Wonder if between them they have any shots from the area where Steve Fossett disappeared?
Source: Poynter
Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Photosynth, Gigapan
