Microsoft’s 20-Gigapixel Seattle Panorama is Packed Full of Fun Artistic Surprises

20140127-12384810-2014-01-27_1238

There’s no rule against having a little fun while proving a technological point, even if you’re Microsoft.

So when the software giant’s research arm wanted to flex some image-editing muscle by creating a 20-gigapixel panorama of Seattle, they decided to bring local artists into the picture (literally) and encourage them to do creative stuff while the camera was clicking away.

Scan the “Gigapixel ArtZoom” image carefully, and you can find: A guy proposing to his beloved, indie pop band Future Fridays posing as robots, a spaceship model that looks like a leaf blower gone rogue, a giant “Error 404” message, a woman in a long purple dress walking down the sidewalk with a candelabra and more!

We don’t want to ruin the treasure hunt aspect for you, though, so do your own pan and zoom work and let us know what you find.

ScreenHunter_308 Jan. 29 13.14

ScreenHunter_307 Jan. 29 13.13

The image was shot from a rooftop near the Space Needle and constructed from 2,368 22-megapixel images stitched together with Microsoft Research’s free Image Composite Editor. But the project isn’t just about demonstrating an impressive Microsoft app; It’s about celebrating the regional art scene by giving creative people a unique way to show their stuff.

“The fun in a panorama comes from panning around, zooming in, and discovering things, so when you do see someone, you wonder what they’re doing.” project director Michael Cohen told Fast Company. “So for Gigapixel ArtZoom, we decided to take this beautiful cityscape of Seattle and fill it with people to find: the artists, acrobats, and performers who give this city such a vibrant life.”

(via Fast Company via Laughing Squid)

Discussion