Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Amazing Dubai panorama

A photographer used special equipment to take a 2.5-gigapizel, 360-degree panoramic photograph from the spire of the Burj Khalifa:
The image is composed from over 70 individual photos. Dubai based photographer Gerald Donovan created the shot using a mechanised panoramic tripod head to take a series of 48 panoramic images, each shot at a resolution of 80 megapixels. These were then stitched together with manually shot images to 'fill-in' gaps caused by equipment installed at the top of the tower such as the lightning conductor and aircraft beacons. The result is an image that can be zoomed, tilted and rotated, giving viewers a sense of how it must feel to sit atop the world's highest building.  
Everything from Ajman and Sharjah at the north end to the Dubai Marina (and beyond that, in the haze, the cranes and waters of Jebel Ali) at the south end is visible. I spent way too much time panning and zooming, and was able to pick out several landmarks, including my former employer's office building (which actually made me a little sad). The amount of stuff still under construction in and around the Emirate is also mind-boggling.


It really is quite amazing and is worth a look, even if you never plan to visit Dubai. See for yourself here.

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