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A close-up of "Library of Congress Great Hall" by Tim Lo Monaco: an ultra-high-resolution VAST photo.
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  • Canvas print
    Printed using archival-quality inks on textured canvas material stretched over wood supports
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1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
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    2 megapixels
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    1,508 x 1,326 px
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    3,372 x 2,965 px
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    7,540 x 6,631 px
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    16,861 x 14,827 px
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    38,216 x 33,606 px
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Tim Lo Monaco

Library of Congress Great Hall

1,284 MEGAPIXELS

1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

This photo is 6,010% higher resolution than a typical photo.

Scroll to learn more.

Library of Congress Great Hall

1,284 MEGAPIXEL VAST PHOTO

This photo is
6,010% higher resolution
than a typical photo.

Scroll to learn more.

Library of Congress Great Hall

1,284 MEGAPIXEL VAST PHOTO
Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The Library of Congress of the United States in downtown Washington, D.C. is the largest library in the world. It provides access to millions of books, audio & video recordings, photos, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts. Home of the U.S. Copyright Office, it is the research library of the U.S. Congress and of anyone who gets a free library card. The Library of Congress physically occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill: The John Adams Building, James Madison Building, and the original Thomas Jefferson Building. Across the street from the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Capitol Building, the Thomas Jefferson Building of the LOC was completed in 1897.

The opulent building of Italian Renaissance style architecture is functional as well as being a national Temple of the Arts. Jefferson’s beliefs in the direct link between knowledge and democracy led to the comprehensive collecting policies of today’s Library of Congress. The elaborately decorated structure was built from fifteen varieties of marble, four hundred thousand cubic feet of granite, bronze, gold, and mahogany and employed more than forty American artists and sculptors to carry out the monumental design. It underwent restoration in the late 1980s. It’s hard not to be impressed walking around the Great Hall. The Roman Goddess Minerva, the guardian of civilization, is portrayed in the arched mosaic climbing the stairs leading to a spectacular view of the Main Reading Room. My son shared with me of a fun fact he learned from his school field trip: Minerva’s feet appear to be pointed in your direction as you both climb the stairs on the right and descend on the left. After seeing it for myself, the impressive optical illusion definitely left me scratching my head.

The intricate details of the work of the artisans who built this monument is nothing short of breathtaking. I wanted to capture this room in its entirety. With a panoramic stitch, there are no limits in perspective so it’s easy to get carried away in composing the photo. I ended up shooting photos of the entire room from that perspective on the second floor: from the immediate columns on either side, to the ground floor below, and stunning ceiling above. The end-result will eventually be a spherical panorama or “little planet”. While I am fascinated with surreal photography, I wanted to also capture a less eye-bending image of the LOC Great Hall and showcase the artisans’ precision in this more traditional composition.

While the photo makes it seem like I had the place to myself, it’s a popular tourist destination in Washington, D.C. Like other iconic DC monuments, there were a lot of people. For over an hour and a half I took my composite photos, having to pan to different spots where there were no people. Similar to the method I used in my DC Cherry Blossoms in peak bloom photo, in the busier areas I shot many images from a single position. I manually blended the sections of each photo with no people to get my final composite images for the panoramic stitch. I also bracketed the exposures because the camera doesn’t have the dynamic range of the human eye to balance the dark shadow areas as well as the bright windows, illuminated columns, and arches above. In total, it took nearly 500 exposures to make the 40 composite images that made this VAST Photo.

This ultra high-resolution photo allows for making extremely large fine art prints and produces a hyper-realistic look unlike that of traditional fine art photography. At well over a gigapixel, it provides the viewer unrestricted access to the most intricate details of the scene. On a personal level, this is one photo I’d love to print as a large mural so I could take the time to examine it up close and see the different elements that are easily missed when visiting, like the crocodile hidden in plain sight. Can you find it?

Date & TimeNovember 29, 2022:  11:21am - 12:54pm
LocationThomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38.888669, -77.004636
Focal Length70mm
Aperturef/13
Shutter1/20 sec - 3 sec
ISO160
Num of Exposures36
Cropped version

This is not an ordinary photograph.

Its resolution is 6,010% greater than a typical photo. Click on the boxes below to zoom in.

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Canvas print

Our ready-to-hang canvas prints are created using a specialty printer that carefully lays pigment inks down onto archival-quality fine art canvas material. The canvas is then stretched around a 1.5-inch-deep wood support structure to provide depth and elegance. Our canvas material has a delightfully matte finish that looks spectacular in any lighting conditions while retaining maximum vibrancy and contrast. Click here to learn more.

Produced using a specialty, large-format fine art printer operating at 300ppi resolution—the gold standard for sharpness

Printed onto heavyweight, 100% acid-free fine art canvas to preserve color-accuracy and longevity

Created using materials and methods that exceed the rigorous technical standards required to achieve the prized "giclée" industry rating

Designed to meet the most demanding standards for color-permanence set by leading museums

Handmade by award-winning master printmakers with over 4 decades of experience

Optionally accompanied by your choice of elegant floater frame available in a variety of trims

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VAST Print™

A VAST Print™ represents the pinnacle of the photographic medium. Each print is a true photograph created specifically for you using light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom with the industry's highest precision exposure technique. Your print is then sealed with a shine-enhancing protective glossy coating*, adhered to a sturdy aluminum composite backing, and finished in one of two ready-to-hang formats:

  • Frameless floating display: A hidden mounting brace on the rear gracefully "floats" the print off the wall for a sleek, modern look.
  • Framed display: The print is mounted inside one of our handcrafted 100% wood frames with a decorative separation between the print and the frame so that the print appears to be floating within the frame, providing depth and elegance to the finished photo.

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*Note: a non-glossy, satin matte coating is alternatively available on request.

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Certificate of authenticity  
with artist signature
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Mounting brace floats the display
off the wall by 3/4 inch
Metal back
1,284 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress; interior architecture photograph created by Tim Lo Monaco in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Paper print
Shine-enhancing
protective coating

Laser-exposed at a truly unprecedented 610ppi resolution

Created using fine art paper with a specialty emulsion enabling unsurpassed micro-contrast, ultra-bright whites, and deep blacks

Printed with a chromogenic process that produces "continuous tones" of silky smooth color (other printers use noticeable dots of ink)

Sealed between an extra-thick, shine-enhancing protective coating and a sturdy aluminum composite backing for a sleek look

Award-winning product quality recognized industry-wide

Designed to meet the most demanding standards for color-permanence set by leading museums

Handmade by certified master printmakers with over 4 decades of experience

Hand-signed by the artist and accompanied by our digitally-enhanced, holographic certificate of authenticity

Optionally accompanied by your choice of elegant floater frame available in a variety of trims

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Digital file

Due to their record-setting resolutions, VAST photos are the most versatile images ever created, with the quality necessary to look great at any size and in any project. Purchasing one of our standard royalty-free licenses provides you with the digital file at your choice of resolution and a permit to use it for most types of projects. Click here to learn more.

Usage in most media formats*
Unlimited number of projects*
Worldwide, perpetual usage*
Not for use in merchandise for sale
Non-exclusive (i.e. we may license the photo to others)

For a premium license that gives exclusivity, glass-related use in North America, or use in merchandise for sale, contact us.

Width38,216 px
Height33,606 px
Aspect Ratio1.14 : 1
Date & TimeNovember 29, 2022:  11:21am - 12:54pm
LocationThomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38.888669, -77.004636
Focal Length70mm
Aperturef/13
Shutter1/20 sec - 3 sec
ISO160
Num of Exposures36

How much resolution do I need?

Here are some rough guidelines for this specific photo:

small
2 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 5x4 in
  • Marketing prints < 10x9 in
  • Use on webpages at sizes smaller than full‑screen
  • Wallpapers for devices with low‑resolution screens
medium
10 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 11x10 in
  • Marketing prints < 22x20 in
  • Use on webpages at full‑screen sizes
  • Wallpapers for devices with high‑resolution screens
large
50 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 25x22 in
  • Marketing prints < 50x44 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 18 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 36 ft
huge
250 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 56x49 in
  • Marketing prints < 112x99 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 8 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 16 ft
colossal
1000 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 112x99 in
  • Marketing prints < 225x198 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 4 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 8 ft
full file
1284 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 127x112 in
  • Marketing prints < 255x224 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 4 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 7 ft
Fine art
prints
(300ppi)
Marketing
prints
(150ppi)
Large
murals
(~20x8 ft)
Massive
murals
(~40x16 ft)
Use on
webpages
Digital
device
wallpapers
small
2 megapixels
< 5x4 in < 10x9 in less than
full-screen use
low-resolution
screens
medium
10 megapixels
< 11x10 in < 22x20 in full-screen use high-resolution
screens
large
50 megapixels
< 25x22 in < 50x44 in if viewers will be
> 18 ft away
if viewers will be
> 36 ft away
huge
250 megapixels
< 56x49 in < 112x99 in if viewers will be
> 8 ft away
if viewers will be
> 16 ft away
colossal
1,000 megapixels
< 112x99 in < 225x198 in if viewers will be
> 4 ft away
if viewers will be
> 8 ft away
full file
1,284 megapixels
< 127x112 in < 255x224 in if viewers will be
> 4 ft away
if viewers will be
> 7 ft away
Photo id: 11495