Photos from "A Wrinkle in Time"*
These 360° images all were photographed at the same
moment, 9 a.m. Dec. 21, Hawaii time. This one, by
Robert "Rabbett" Abbett on Kailua Beach.
Hawaii was briefly the center of
the universe as people around the world
took part in an isle man's dream
to capture "A Wrinkle in Time"
By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin
Where were you precisely at 9 a.m. Dec. 21, Hawaii time?
More than 60 volunteers worldwide show where they were in "A Wrinkle in Time," a Web page produced by Robert "Rabbett" Abbett, a Kailua man and former 98-Rock disc jockey.
The Internet site is the world's first project using QuickTime VR technology to provide panoramic shots in such a synchronized manner, according to Abbett.
"We made Hawaii the center of the universe, as it should be," he said yesterday. "Now we have a phenomenon on our hands, and it's still growing."
Participants on five continents shot the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Westminster Bridge in London and the famous Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque, N.M.
Photos from "A Wrinkle in Time"*
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge by Jim Baker
featuring his wife and puppies.
Some people didn't leave their living room recliners, such as the man in Portugal who shot his Christmas tree and TV. A producer in the Yukon got frostbite shooting his panorama.
They did it for free, for fun, and for all to share a global moment recorded for posterity.
Quicktime VR allows an Internet user to see a picture in its full dimension, as if you were standing on a Hawaii beach and turned slowly to see the ocean in front and the mountains behind, Abbett explained. To move through the photo, users move their mouse.
It's a big hit
The site, named after a novel on time travel, has received 6,000 to 7,000 visits, or hits, a day, said Abbett, 44.
And the site keeps growing. People who heard about his invitation to shoot their town Dec. 21 are still sending him pictures taken that day from around the world.
"The project got out of hand," said Abbett, who created the site on his home computer.
"I was getting too many requests."
Photos from "A Wrinkle in Time"*
Aharus, Denmark, at 8 p.m. by Birger Borgwardt.
Volunteers consequently helped him create two other mirror sites -- one in California and one in Hawaii -- to handle the thousands of international visitors.
"It's been a heck of a lot of fun," he said. "I've had e-mails from around the world thanking me and congratulating me."
Abbett called the site a "cosmic occurrence."
QuickTime VR users talked for months about doing a worldwide collaborative project, but legal and logistical details kept it from happening, he said.
The idea hits
Then, Abbett recalled, he woke up on Dec. 17, drank a cup of coffee, and the idea hit him.
"Let's do it," he said to himself. "Someone had to pick up the reins and just do it."
He sent a news release to a global mail list of QuickTime VR users and invited them to shoot their local scene at the designated time.
"I picked 9 a.m. because it was a good time for me," said Abbett with a laugh. "I didn't even realize Dec. 21st happened to be the winter solstice until someone told me later."
Photos from "A Wrinkle in Time"*
Westminster Bridge on a foggy London evening
shot by David Mantripp.
People e-mailed him back for details. They decided to align their watches with the atomic clock in Denver for accuracy.
Robert "Rabbett" Abbett
"I got some phone calls from people asking me what to shoot. I told them to shoot what's important to them," Abbett said. "If it's raining, shoot the inside of your garage."
Participants set up their tripods and cameras. When the time arrived -- the middle of the night for some, the middle of the day for others -- they all simultaneously shot their 360-degree panoramas and sent them to Abbett.
"I spent three days working until 2 a.m. on this," he said. "I'm still working on it, because people keep sending me stuff they shot that day and are now getting around to sending it to me."
Due to the project's success, Abbett said he is planning a sequel for the spring equinox in March. The name: Wrinkle II.
*Photos are computer screen shots taken from
"A Wrinkle In Time" Web site with the permission of
Robert "Rabbett" Abbett for use with this article. They are
only single views of the 360° panoramic QuickTime VR originals.
