# 1,474 Megapixel Photo of Obama's inauguration **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755 "2009-01-30T19:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/41 "2009-01-31T17:07:45Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > Where is Bush Sr? Is he in that same wedge with the Supreme Court? Three rows behind his son, right next to Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/42 "2009-02-01T05:17:30Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Incredibly cool. > > But check out the lower right. Along the low fence that runs diagonally through the picture and just below the rightmost legs of the tower.Disembodied legs! And if you follow that fence to the right, someone seems to be emerging from another dimension. But it’s nice to see Mr. Potter in the wheelchair again. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/43 "2009-02-01T08:44:39Z")
> [@Ro0sh](#): > > Who didn’t just waste 5-10 mins scanning the tops of the buildings to see if they could see any trained police snipers or anything on the lookout. (I think they’re on top of the domed building towards the top center, and back the picture… These two guys standing all alone up there… :shrug: I was looking for the same thing , those two guys look like they are operating an oldstyle television camera, plus there is a third in the window closer to the right hand side. That platform sure had enough cameras on it, Id make a guess that there was probably half a mil worth of zooms Declan ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/44 "2009-02-01T17:57:30Z")
I hope the software the photographer used to stitch this mosaic together will allow him to manually retouch it to fix all those errors. This is too important a document to allow it to not be repaired. It would be great to use the eyes of all these viewers as an error correction system. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/45 "2009-02-01T19:03:30Z")
It’s an awesome technique, isn’t it? I’ve looked at this pictures several times since I came across it (should have thought to start a thread; I found it in the comments on something that was linked from a post here). Just looked back at David Bergman’s blog and prints are now available. He says that imperfections have been cleaned up, **gaffa**. [Here’s a link to one of the order pages](http://gallery.pictopia.com/davidbergman/photo/7579012/). There’s also a version available [with an inauguration logo on it](http://gallery.pictopia.com/davidbergman/photo/7565856/), but I think the plain picture is nicer. ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/46 "2009-02-01T19:57:28Z")
Thank you for this post; just the sight of George The Elder’s hat was enough to make my day! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/47 "2009-02-01T23:54:09Z")
My husband and I spent a couple of hours looking at this amazing picture, and that was before I found the snapshot viewer! I wish you could post direct URLs to snapshots, but I haven’t found a way to do that yet. So instead, I made a bunch of screen captures just for the hell of it. I have no life. All links here are to screen captures. > [@NinetyWt](#): > > There is a guy on the other side of the wall from Leibowitz and about a dozen people down the row, who looks like he’s wearing a yellow sleeping bag. And an Air Force cap. I see it as an orange sleeping bag. He’s a Tuskeegee Airman AND an Olympic Gold medalist (you can see both hats)! According to the snapshot viewer that’s > [@](#): > > [Malvin Whitfield](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/MalvinWhitfield.jpg), Tuskegee Airmen, Olympic Gold > > 2X Olympic Gold at 800 meters, Gold and Silver 4X400 relay, Bronze 400 meters. > [@NinetyWt](#): > > Several (students?) taking notes. I think you’re seeing the print journalists’ section. Just about everybody has a notepad. In the snapshot viewer, one woman in that section is identified as [Patricia McCarter](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/PatriciaMcCarter.jpg), reporter for The Huntsville Times. She’s wearing a red hat in the second row, closest to the photographer, 3 seats down from the [Cubs fan](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/cubsfan.jpg). While the snapshot viewer has a lot of useless fluff, there are a lot of people identified. Some I question and think they were guesses, but others that I questioned were confirmed by other sources, even though they don’t look like the people they’re supposed to be. [Beyonce and Jay-Z](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Beyonce_JayZ.jpg) (damn, he’s wearing a cozy warm hat, and she’s bareheaded) [Jessica Alba](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JessicaAlba.jpg) [Denzel Washington](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DenzelWashington.jpg) (who’s standing up and probably blocking the view of people behind him) [Angela Bassett](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/AngelaBassett.jpg) [Jesse Jackson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JesseJackson.jpg) [Mos Def](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_MosDef.jpg) (who’s got a MUCH better seat than Jessica Alba, who probably can’t see a thing because she’s sitting right behind the network tower) [Oprah](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/OprahsHands_Gayle.jpg) (this was confirmed. You can’t see her face but she’s sitting next to her friend Gayle) [Jamie Lee Curtis](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JamieLeeCurtis.jpg) [Tyne Daly](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/TyneDaly.jpg) [Puffy D](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/PuffDaddy.jpg) (or whatever he calls himself nowadays) [Smokey Robinson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/SmokeyRobinson.jpg) [Martin Luther King III](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/MartinLutherKingIII.jpg) If you see a woman in a white coat and a white head wrap just behind [Craig Robinson and his wife](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/KellyCraigRobinson.jpg), and just in front of [Eric Holder](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/EricHolder.jpg), she’s identified as [Obama’s grandmother](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/ObamaGrandma.jpg) from Kenya. I wouldn’t have known these if they hadn’t been confirmed in this thread. [Annie Liebowitz](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/AnnieLiebowitz.jpg) (that is such a cool camera beside her) [Dustin Hoffman](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DustinHoffman.jpg) One guy in a particular section said he was standing next to these people: [Tom Waits](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/TomWaits.jpg) (I don’t know about this one, but the guy was sure) [Connie Nielson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/ConnieNielsen.jpg) (I don’t know about this one, but the guy was sure) [Tyra Banks](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/TyraBanks.jpg) (I don’t know about this one, but the guy was sure) [Richard Branson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RichardBranson.jpg) (I don’t know…hard to believe he’d wear such a dorky hat) [John Cusack](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/No_Maybe_JohnCusack.jpg) (ditto) [Samuel L. Jackson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/No_SamuelLJackson.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Jack Black](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_JackBlack.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Kevin Costner](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_KevinCostner.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Robin Roberts](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RobinRoberts.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Donald Sutherland](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_DonaldSutherland.jpg) (I don’t know about this one. I don’t think so) [David Letterman](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_DavidLetterman.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Christiane Amanpour](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Maybe_ChristianeAmanpour.jpg) [Robin Roberts](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RobinRoberts.jpg) (I don’t know about this one) [Tobey Maguire](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/TobeyMaguire.jpg) (I don’t know about this one, I haven’t confirmed it) Kennedy family folks: [Maria Shriver](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/MariaShriver.jpg) [Bobby Shriver](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/BobbyShriver_JFKnephew.jpg) [Caroline Kennedy](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/CarolineKennedy.jpg) Folks from another galaxy: [Emperor Palpatine](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/EmperorPalpatine.jpg) (“dammit, I should be up there”) [Obi Wan Kenobi](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/ObiWan.jpg) (“ha, but you’re not!”) People I know for sure: [Al and Tipper Gore](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/AlTipperGore.jpg) [David Axelrod](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DavidAxelrod.jpg) [Dan Quayle](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DanQuayle.jpg) [Dennis Kucinich](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DennisKucinich.jpg) [Gov. David Patterson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/GovDavidPatterson_NY.jpg) (NY) [Gov. Deval Patrick](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/GovDevalPatrick_Mass.jpg) (Mass.) [Janet Napolitano](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JanetNapolitano.jpg) [Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JimmyRosalynCarter.jpg) [John Kerry’s head](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JohnKerry.jpg) [John Lewis](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JohnLewis.jpg) (civil rights activist) [Rahm Emmanuel](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RahmEmmanuel.jpg) [Robert Gibbs](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RobertGibbs.jpg) [Ruth Bader Ginsberg](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RuthBaderGinsberg.jpg) [Valerie Jarrett](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/ValerieJarrett.jpg) [Walter Mondale](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/WalterMondale.jpg) [Yo Yo Ma](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/YoYoMa.jpg) (taking a picture) Various people. I assume they’re correctly identified: [Anne Kirkpatrick](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/AnneKirkpatrick_CD1AZ.jpg) (Congresswoman from Arizona) [Donna Brazile](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/DonnaBrazile.jpg) [Beau Biden](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/BeauBiden.jpg) [Ben Bernanke](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/BenBernanke.jpg) [Brad Henry](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/BradHenry_GovofOK.jpg) (Gov of Oklahoma) [Leon Panetta](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/LeonPanetta.jpg) [John Salazar](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/JohnSalazar.jpg) [Susan Collins](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/SusanColllins_Maine.jpg) (Maine) [Who IS this guy](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Unknown1.jpg) in the red hat anyway? He sure was gladhanding people when they came out the main door. I should know [who this person is](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/coolhair.jpg), but I don’t. I know she’s a recent Obama appointee. She has the coolest hair in the world. [Anyone know who this](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Unknown2.jpg) is? I’m sure the freepers are freaking over him. There’s a guy with a really really dorky pink, black and orange hat who’s identified as [Ed Perlmutter](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/EdPerlmutter.jpg). I looked him up and he’s a Representative from Colorado. Speaking of hats, I love looking at all the different hats. Some look sooooo warm, and some do look very silly indeed. [Lots and lots of hats](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/hats.html) I’m beyond amazed that so many people were not wearing hats. I can’t even imagine! Some aren’t even wearing winter coats. [These people look like they’re absolutely miserable with cold.](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/freezing.html) On the other hand, [these people look cozy warm.](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/warm.html) I know most people had to get up way early to get there, but come on, [wake up!](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/wakeup.html) Even at an event like this, people [have to have their phones.](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/phone.html) Not fitting into any category, just random [things I noticed.](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/various.html) It was interesting to find the [4 police snipers](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Snipers1.jpg) on the building between the reporters’ scaffolding and the network camera tower. Also, on the roof a few buildings over are the [cabanas of the network mucky mucks](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Cabanas.jpg). I guess that’s where Katie Couric and Tom Browkaw and all them were. The building further to the right, with the weird dome on top is identified as the [Canadian Embassy](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/CanadianEmbassy.jpg). There are tons of people standing on the roof, and more police above them. [ [URL=“http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/”]](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/) [URL=“[Index of /pics/gigapan](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/)”] ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/48 "2009-02-02T01:02:29Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > [Annie Liebowitz](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/AnnieLiebowitz.jpg) (that is such a cool camera beside her) I wonder how many Presidential Inaugurations that particular camera has been used to photograph? > [@](#): > > [Richard Branson](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RichardBranson.jpg) (I don’t know…hard to believe he’d wear such a dorky hat) If you’re rich enough, cool enough or handsome enough you can pretty much wear anything and make it look cool. As Branson is all three, he could probably stick a live duck on his head and get away with it. > [@](#): > > Folks from another galaxy: > [Emperor Palpatine](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/EmperorPalpatine.jpg) (“dammit, I should be up there”) > [Obi Wan Kenobi](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/ObiWan.jpg) (“ha, but you’re not!”) They need to share one page. You have to balance the Force. > [@](#): > > [Ruth Bader Ginsberg](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/RuthBaderGinsberg.jpg) Scalia is in the same picture. The whole two rows to the left of Ginsberg are the Supreme Court, including an apparently snoozing Thomas. > [@](#): > > [Who IS this guy](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/Unknown1.jpg) in the red hat anyway? He sure was gladhanding people when they came out the main door. Yeah, I remember that he parked himself right by the entrance and talking to all the bigwigs. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/49 "2009-02-02T02:08:11Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > The building further to the right, with the weird dome on top is identified as the [Canadian Embassy](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/pics/gigapan/CanadianEmbassy.jpg). There are tons of people standing on the roof, and more police above them. I did some looking around at Foreign Affairs’ website and found a [Flickr photostream](http://www.flickr.com/photos/connect2canada) of the event. Here’s what all those people on the roof of the Embassy [were seeing](http://www.flickr.com/photos/connect2canada/3218097609/). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/50 "2009-02-02T02:54:24Z")
This made me curious, and as near as I can tell, they were on top of a building bordered by 3rd, 4th, C and Independence. And it appears to be the least architecturally or historically significant building around, but it occupies an entire city block. And it couldn’t be one that had drastic security concerns. So I’m betting the anchors were on the roof of the US Post Office. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755/51 "2009-02-02T06:35:59Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Who IS this guy in the red hat anyway? He sure was gladhanding people when they came out the main door. I don’t know, but you can tell he’s important because Bubbles gave him the red hat. Seriously, though, this post was awesome. Thanks for putting this together! > [@Equipoise](#): > > I’m beyond amazed that so many people were not wearing hats. I can’t even imagine! Some aren’t even wearing winter coats. These people look like they’re absolutely miserable with cold. The Air Force blues come with a thick, dark, very nice-looking jacket, but I’m guessing the Lieutenant Colonel wanted to show off all his decorations. Hostile Dialect, Hostile Dialect, Insignia-Free Narcissist [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-474-megapixel-photo-of-obamas-inauguration/483755.md?page=2)