Camera That Will Take 1000-Year Exposure To Debut Tomorrow

Out of all the odd ways one can get a world record, this probably isn't the oddest of them. Still, one photographer's plan to take the longest-ever photo exposure is unusual, and a lot can go wrong in a thousand years (invading aliens, an earthquake where the camera's located, etc). The camera will be debuting tomorrow at the Arizona State University Art Museum, which will be home for the camera. The final image won't be finished until the year 3,015, long after the photographer has passed on.

The effort is the brainchild of photographer Jonathon Keats, and he wants to take the longest exposure (1,000 years) of Tempe, Arizona. The camera will be mounted three floors above the ground in the museum's sculpture garden — it will have a bird's-eye view of the skyline, which will no doubt continue to grow over the next 1,000 years.

The camera won't work in an entirely ordinary fashion — rather than being filled with film, the camera will have a piece of metal coated with oil paint. A gold plate will be placed in front of the camera, where a pinhole will allow light through. Over time (a very, very long time), the light will fade the the paint, recording the changes that take place to the skyline over time.

The museum will be responsible for unveiling the image in early 3,015, as the photographer and many of his future family members will be long gone. If it manages to last that full 1,000 years, it'll be the longest-exposure picture ever, though definitely not the clearest.

VIA: PetaPixel