Group Shot
Encyclopedia
Group Shot is a photo combining program developed by Microsoft Research
. Its purpose is to solve the problem of individuals in group photographs that might be doing undesirable things such as looking elsewhere, closing their eyes, not smiling, etc. The principle of Group Shot is that multiple group photographs will be taken in each session. Multiple images from a session are loaded into the application, and then the user selects the best parts from all of the different photos and merges them into one.
It was announced at Bill Gates
' keynote
at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show
. The software will be available as part of Windows Ultimate Extras
. For a time, the software was available to download for Windows XP
users, however it was later removed from the Microsoft Research website. Microsoft Research stated that the beta period has expired. The program can still be run by changing the system date on a Windows computer to 2007.
The Group Shot engine was eventually included in Windows Live Photo Gallery Wave 4 under the name of Photo Fuse.
A similar feature is available in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0
under the name 'Photomerge Group Shot'. Essentially the same functionality is also available in Adobe Photoshop CS3's Photomerge, though not packaged as a separate feature. It is available as well in the open-source
application Hugin
.
Microsoft Research
Microsoft Research is the research division of Microsoft created in 1991 for developing various computer science ideas and integrating them into Microsoft products. It currently employs Turing Award winners C.A.R. Hoare, Butler Lampson, and Charles P...
. Its purpose is to solve the problem of individuals in group photographs that might be doing undesirable things such as looking elsewhere, closing their eyes, not smiling, etc. The principle of Group Shot is that multiple group photographs will be taken in each session. Multiple images from a session are loaded into the application, and then the user selects the best parts from all of the different photos and merges them into one.
It was announced at Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
' keynote
Keynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
. The software will be available as part of Windows Ultimate Extras
Windows Ultimate Extras
Windows Ultimate Extras are optional features offered to users of Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. They are accessible with Windows Update. Ultimate Extras replace the market role of Microsoft Plus!, a product sold for prior consumer releases of Microsoft Windows...
. For a time, the software was available to download for Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
users, however it was later removed from the Microsoft Research website. Microsoft Research stated that the beta period has expired. The program can still be run by changing the system date on a Windows computer to 2007.
The Group Shot engine was eventually included in Windows Live Photo Gallery Wave 4 under the name of Photo Fuse.
A similar feature is available in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements is the consumer version of the Adobe Photoshop raster image editing product, targeted at hobbyist users and hence sold at a fraction of the cost of the professional product. It contains most of the features of the professional version but with fewer and simpler options...
under the name 'Photomerge Group Shot'. Essentially the same functionality is also available in Adobe Photoshop CS3's Photomerge, though not packaged as a separate feature. It is available as well in the open-source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
application Hugin
Hugin (software)
Hugin is a cross-platform open source panorama photo stitching and HDR merging program developed by Pablo d'Angelo and others. It is a GUI front-end for Helmut Dersch's Panorama Tools and Andrew Mihal's Enblend and Enfuse...
.