Panopticon (n)
Translated as "All-seeing", Panopticon is a photographic term, first coined by
UK based artist, Ruski. It is used to describe a particular style of
360° panoramic images, rendered in a stereographic projection, such that the entire scene surrounds a central vantage point.
The unique perspective generated is instantly recognisable, though can sometimes be mistaken for fish-eye images. Photographs from
outside, appear like a little planet, wheras indoor scenes can be transformed with ceiling structures encircling the scene.
The term was inspired by the original use in
prison design, where the cells, and the prisoners within, all surround and are visible from a
single central spot.