Gene is a creative innovator and developer with a passion for developing scientific tools, exhibits, and educational programs that provide new ways of exploring the world both literally and figuratively. Photography is a common thread in his life and work, which has come a long way since childhood years experimenting with unique perspectives, angles, filters, and time-lapse exposures. He founded GIGAmacro to build robotic devices capable of capturing gigapixel photographs with microscopic detail and developing new visualization tools for comparison of complex imagery for research, science, and education.

Settling Plate Full & Detail

Exploratorium Settling Plates

Top and Bottom Views, 2 gigapixels each (2,000 megapixels) Close-up Views and 3D Data Below is an example 3D section of one small part of the settling plate. This area was shot with a resolution of 29,000 dpi and then processed and rendered to convert the data to a 3D view and video. Gene CooperGene…

Explore the Cicada (Female, Male, Nymph), Magicicada septendecim

A 7.8 gigapixel (7800 megapixel) explorable image created from over 60,000 individual photographs at a resolution of 26,318 dpi. Specimens provided by Dr. John E. Rawlins, Section of Invertebrate Zoology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. About the Cicada…(from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology)… The 17-year life cycle of Magicicada septendecim is of critical…

Eagle Feather, 6.5 Gigapixel Macro Photograph

The eagle feather image was the first image created by GIGAmacro. This explorable image was constructed from 7,584 photographs using an early prototype of the GIGAmacro Professional Macro Photography System. About the eagle feather… Eagle feathers are often used in various ceremonies and are used to honor noteworthy achievements and qualities such as exceptional leadership…