26 August 2010

Fine Fellows and Int'l GigaPixel Conference



We are getting really excited to host the new class of Fine Fellows this November in Pittsburgh. The 2010 Fine Fellows will kick off with a workshop to learn how to use a GigaPan and the stitching software. The fun does not end there. Kicking off at Carnegie Mellon University on November 11th is the FIRST Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science. Brought to you by CREATE Lab, Carnegie Mellon University with The Fine Foundation, the conference aims to explore innovative uses of GigaPan in the classroom, the field and the laboratory by leading scientists. Tell your colleagues and get on board, because this conference is going to be packed with arts, smarts and camera parts. The main purpose of the event is to bring together students, researchers, scientists, teachers and practitioners to present and discuss their latest techniques, ideas, applications and research findings related to various aspects of gigapixel imaging for science. Google's Alan Eustace, Senior Vice President, Engineering & Research leads Friday morning's keynote with a welcome by CMU's President Dr. Jared Cohen. Keep checking the website for additional details on the conference.

25 August 2010

52 weeks of photos




On the University of Guelph campus in Ontario, Canada, the “Dairy Bush” is an 8.5 ha woodlot that has been part of the city and the university campus since 1830. The sign outside the Bush reads, "The Dairy Bush is a unique and delicate example of Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest in Southern Ontario, and serves as an outdoor laboratory for University of Guelph students." Between August 2009 and September 2010, 2008 Fine Fellow and Assistant Professor of Molecular Ecology Alex Smith has been visiting the Dairy Bush weekly to document a year in this urban woodlot using GigaPan panoramic images.

From a snail hanging out on a tree in September '09 to a tiny fly in May '10, Alex has captured many delicate features of this unique ecosystem. At week 51, Alex is about to wrap up an entire year of weekly GigaPan-ing. This impressive collection features many unique captures not only in Guleph, Canada, but also in Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, CA,
Costa Rica and Belize.

Dr. Alex Smith is an Assistant Professor in Molecular Ecology at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario.