January 22, 2012

35 Foot-Long “Eye of America” Camera Shoots Two-Story Tall Photos

Two years ago, I got my portrait taken. It was after graduation and was actually for our yearbook. The studio sent me the prints a few weeks later, and it was huge. I hadn’t seen such a huge print in my face, ever. Needless to say, my mom loved it and had it framed. My huge face is now hanging on the wall of our living room.
But anyway, do you agree that the size of portraits are a reflection of the (figurative) size of a person’s spirit? If you do, then you might want to say that great minds think alike, because that’s what Dennis Manarchy thought of for his 35-foot long mammoth of a camera called the “Eye of America.”


Here’s some background on the plans for the camera and its design:

While the video shows what the finished camera will look like, it appears that Manarchy has already built a functional version in his studio – it’s not as finished as the images shown above, but it is fully-functional, and captures images of extraordinary detail.

Manarchy built the “Eye of America” camera for his project entitled Vanishing Cultures. Basically, it’s a series that will honor America’s people by capturing their images on huge negatives that measure 6 feet × 4.5 feet and subsequently onto prints that are two stories-high. Here’s more about Manarchy’s project:
FYI, Manarchy is a celebrity of his own right in the world of photography; in fact, he has been voted as the world’s best photographer – twice.