To Make “The Great Picture,” Artists Turned A Hangar Into A Pinhole Camera

It’s always good to keep the big picture in mind, and today we look at the biggest picture.

It was today in 2006 that the largest photograph ever taken was released to the world.

It’s known today as The Great Picture: 31 feet tall, 107 feet wide.

And it’s not a print of a regular size picture, either.

The original negative was actually that big.

Six artists came together at an old military hangar in Irvine, California to turn the building into a giant pinhole camera.

They and hundreds of volunteers sealed the facility off and then hung up 3,375 square feet of light-sensitive fabric.

The pinhole they set up in the hangar doors was under a quarter-inch in diameter, but it was still enough to take a panoramic picture of the surrounding base, including the air control tower and the San Joaquin Hills behind them.

But, of course, all of that was just step one.

Next, they had to create a print from the gigantic negative, using enormous, swimming pool-sized trays.

To answer two common questions: yes, the Great Picture did set the world record for largest pinhole camera.

And it is sometimes put on display, though potential exhibitors definitely need to have big rooms to show it.

It’s been a few years since The Great Picture was taken.

Maybe now they could do The Great Selfie?

A new supersized 3D screen has gone up in Shinjuku. This giant kitty will be featured in between broadcasts.
pic.twitter.com/Fh0YLWW3rx

— Spoon & Tamago (@Johnny_suputama) July 5, 2021

Here’s something else worth seeing in Tokyo, outside of the Shinjuku train station, there’s a massive new 3D screen that will broadcast videos.

And in between programs it’s going to show a giant 3D calico cat that stares down at the people several stories below.

Just as long as it doesn’t decide to break out of the screen.

Big picture thinking! World’s largest photograph measuring 31ft high and 107ft wide goes on display (and it needed the biggest camera ever made to take it) (Daily Mail)

World’s Largest Pinhole Camera Takes World’s Largest Photo (ABC News)

A giant cat appears in front of Shinjuku station! (DreamNews)

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Photo by _mogi. at Flickr/Creative Commons