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A close-up of "The Heavens Awaken" by Dan Piech: an ultra-high-resolution VAST photo.
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    Printed using archival-quality inks on textured canvas material stretched over wood supports
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1,217 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of a lightning bolt strike from a thunderstorm in Jersey City, NJ over URL Harborside 1; created by Dan Piech.
1,217 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of a lightning bolt strike from a thunderstorm in Jersey City, NJ over URL Harborside 1; created by Dan Piech.
1,217 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of a lightning bolt strike from a thunderstorm in Jersey City, NJ over URL Harborside 1; created by Dan Piech.
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  • Just the paper print Just the paper print
  • Small
    2 megapixels
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    1,357 x 1,474 px
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    10 megapixels
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    3,035 x 3,295 px
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    6,785 x 7,369 px
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    15,173 x 16,477 px
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    33,470 x 36,348 px
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The Heavens Awaken

1,217 MEGAPIXELS
1,217 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of a lightning bolt strike from a thunderstorm in Jersey City, NJ over URL Harborside 1; created by Dan Piech.
This photo is 5,700% higher resolution than a typical photo.
Scroll to learn more.

The Heavens Awaken

1,217 MEGAPIXEL VAST PHOTO
This photo is
5,700% higher resolution
than a typical photo.
Scroll to learn more.

The Heavens Awaken

1,217 MEGAPIXEL VAST PHOTO
Jersey City, New Jersey

Most of us have become numb to the majestic power of a thunderstorm, barely batting an eye when the sky unleashes its most spectacular light show. We've forgotten how beautiful such a relatively common natural phenomenon is. The thunderstorm photography I set out to create is an attempt to remind us of how awe-inspiring and humbling our planet can be.

In the United States, most powerful weather fronts move from west to east, with the leading edge of a storm packing the biggest punch. Therefore, the best lightning photos are created while out ahead of the storm on the eastern side, in front of the advancing rain curtain that would otherwise obscure the view.

I was on high above the eastern bank of the Hudson River in New York City at midnight on this particular night when an enormous and highly-active front began to roll across New Jersey to my west. I was impressed with the incredible height and texture of the storm clouds that towered into the stratosphere. Of course, this magnificent display of cloud formations was only visible for fleeting moments when a bolt of lightning would illuminate it.

I worked furiously to prepare my gear and settings to capture a perfect exposure of this display. And, as luck would have it, shortly before the storm overtook me, a gorgeous bolt lept upwards high into the heavens above the Jersey City skyline. The breathtaking visual memory I have of that moment was thankfully captured by the camera and is now something that I can share with others.

Note: This is an "upconverted" VAST photo: it has been meticulously created to identically mimic a single-exposure photo.

Learn about the VAST upconversion process on our blog  

View the original single-exposure image of the lightning strike  

Date & TimeAugust 17, 2016:  12:31am
LocationJersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates40.719438, -74.011959
Focal Length400mm
Aperturef/7.1
Shutter20 sec
ISO100
Num of Exposures39

VAST photos are the highest resolution photos ever made.
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Explore another VAST photo of lightning
This is not an ordinary photograph.

Its resolution is 5,700% 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.

Click here to learn more.

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

Certificate of authenticity icon for the VAST Prints photography product.
Certificate of authenticity  
with artist signature
affixed to the back

Mounting brace floats the display
off the wall by 3/4 inch
Metal back
1,217 megapixels! A very high resolution, large-format VAST photo print of a lightning bolt strike from a thunderstorm in Jersey City, NJ over URL Harborside 1; created by Dan Piech.
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
Not for use laminated in or onto glass in North America
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.

Total Pixels1,216,567,560 px
Width33,470 px
Height36,348 px
Aspect Ratio0.92 : 1
Date & TimeAugust 17, 2016:  12:31am
LocationJersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates40.719438, -74.011959
Focal Length400mm
Aperturef/7.1
Shutter20 sec
ISO100
Num of Exposures39

How much resolution do I need?

Here are some rough guidelines for this specific photo:

small
2 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 5x5 in
  • Marketing prints < 9x10 in
  • Use on webpages at sizes smaller than full‑screen
  • Wallpapers for devices with low‑resolution screens
medium
10 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 10x11 in
  • Marketing prints < 20x22 in
  • Use on webpages at full‑screen sizes
  • Wallpapers for devices with high‑resolution screens
large
50 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 23x25 in
  • Marketing prints < 45x49 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 20 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 41 ft
huge
250 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 51x55 in
  • Marketing prints < 101x110 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 9 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 18 ft
colossal
1000 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 101x110 in
  • Marketing prints < 202x220 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 5 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 9 ft
full file
1217 megapixels
  • Fine art prints < 112x121 in
  • Marketing prints < 223x242 in
  • Large murals viewed from > 4 ft
  • Massive murals viewed from > 8 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
< 5x5 in < 9x10 in less than
full-screen use
low-resolution
screens
medium
10 megapixels
< 10x11 in < 20x22 in full-screen use high-resolution
screens
large
50 megapixels
< 23x25 in < 45x49 in if viewers will be
> 20 ft away
if viewers will be
> 41 ft away
huge
250 megapixels
< 51x55 in < 101x110 in if viewers will be
> 9 ft away
if viewers will be
> 18 ft away
colossal
1,000 megapixels
< 101x110 in < 202x220 in if viewers will be
> 5 ft away
if viewers will be
> 9 ft away
full file
1,217 megapixels
< 112x121 in < 223x242 in if viewers will be
> 4 ft away
if viewers will be
> 8 ft away
Photo id: 10146