When it comes to 3D, no President has ever come this close to being digitally re-created pixel by pixel until now.

The Smithsonian Institution set up the project to produce a 3D Presidential portrait in order to build the highest resolution model of a head of state. A mobile light stage was set up at the White House to capture the President from 14 different angles with 50 custom built LED lights and in 10 different lighting conditions. The purpose of capturing the President's face in this manner was to get as much data as possible to accurately digitize both shadows and facial textures.

Hand-held 3D scanners were also used to flash 'fringe patterns' of light which were then recorded by cameras to build the President's 3D face in the highest detail possible.

Following the shoot, the scans were then analysed and a statue was printed in 3D to show a life-size version of Obama's head. The 3D shoot takes Obama's 'movie career' to new heights following his on-screen performance as Daniel Day-Lewis in Spielberg's parody for the White House correspondence dinner last year.