A Gigapixel Panoramic Image of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Lyon, France
I present to you a gigapixel panoramic image of the interior of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Having lived in Lyon for 10 years, I have always been amazed by this 19th-century architectural masterpiece, both for the finesse of its exterior and interior details.
It was this fascination that drove me to translate its architectural and artistic richness into the digital world.
Creating this image required a meticulous approach. Using an aperture of f/11 and an ISO sensitivity of 100, I had to adjust the exposure time between 3 and 6 seconds per shot—a necessary setting to ensure optimal quality.
In total, the shooting process lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, during which 1,495 photos were captured.
To achieve such a high level of precision, I used a Nodal Ninja M1 panoramic head, which allowed me to take overlapping shots with a 50% overlap to facilitate the final stitching.
I used Nikon D600 with 85mm lens.
Processing and Assembly
The RAW files were processed in Adobe Lightroom to adjust color balance and harmonize the lighting. I opted for HDR processing, transforming my captures into 114 HDR images.
The processed files, exported as 16-bit TIFFs, took up 160 GB on my hard drive. The stitching was done using PTGui, which gave me full control over the process.
This work required several stages:
Importing the photos: 1h30
Applying masks (removing unwanted elements, HDR adjustments): 1h
Previewing the assembly: 10h
Once the preview was validated, a further 3 to 5 hours were needed to correct imperfections, adjust image connections, and refine the final rendering. Needless to say, patience—and a good cup of tea—was essential! 😉
Key Figures
1,495 photos taken
114 HDR images processed
Final 16-bit PSB file size: 47 GB
Final resolution: 68,804 x 65,880 px (4.5 gigapixels)
Field of view: 290° horizontally and 175° vertically
Resolution 187 times higher than my camera’s sensor
6 GB required on the server for online viewing
Composed of 23,367 mini-images in JPG (512x512 px)
Total work time: 41 hours
An Unforgettable Experience
This project was both a real challenge and an immense pleasure to complete. I hope this image allows you to appreciate the stunning beauty of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière from a whole new perspective.
Attached file is 75 megapixels, you can check full 4.5 gigapixel image in this page
https://armsphere.fr/fourviere-gigapixel/