How is it to work as a photojournalist? Have you ever thought how it feels to take close shots of high public figures while they make a speech?
Gilles Vidal is a French journalist that has gained fame through his panoreportages: panoramic images/videos that allow viewers to virtually place themselves behind Gilles’ eyes in order to see -moving the cursor- the whole scene he saw, as if turning around 360º.
These high definition exercises help to better understand cameramen’s anxiety when there is only a V.I.P. and many colleagues who want to take the best photo (hence: almost always).
One example is the panographic video about Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Airbus Union’s representatives (5 March 2007). Then, the politician was still a candidate for France presidential elections.
It is also curious to see the King and Queen of Spain surrounded by a swarm of reporters squeezed into a tiny room in their state visit to France (29 March 2007). And then you can glimpse more dangerous situations, such as covering demonstrations with many people hurrying around.
The journal Liberation has published some of Vidal’s works recently. Panographies or spherical videos are getting more and more common on the Internet, specially to show nice views.
Update (26 May 2008): How to make a panography? «By hand» or «by machine«.