Imaging Buddhist art with a digital large-format camera: A field study report from the Dunhuang caves

This article describes recent field work undertaken by Microsoft Research Asia and the Dunhuang Academy to capture highresolution images of Buddhist art at the UNESCO world heritage site, the Mogao Caves. This project is intended as a feasibility study examining the use of a digital large-format gigapixel camera to capture high-resolution images in a cultural heritage setting. In particular, we report on the current challenges faced by the Dunhuang Academy in their imaging efforts and how the use of a digital large-format camera can improve the quality of the imaging process while reducing time and effort. We also describe lessons learned from this field study as well as remaining challenges inherent to such projects.