Doctor Mounir Bashour is an individual with a unique focus. His specialty is the cutting-edge science of facial aesthetics - the study of the structure, gestures, expressions, perceptions and other intangible measurements of the human face.

A respected ophthalmic and facial plastic surgeon in Montreal and Toronto, he also is a  Phd (candidate) in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Recently, however, Dr. Bashour has added a new title to this impressive list of accomplishments - that of digital photographer.

Dr. Bashour is breaking new ground in applying the advanced features of the latest digital imaging system - in this case the Kodak DCS 560 digital camera - to the development of a unique facial aesthetic data base that will provide the international scientific and research communities with the standard reference for facial analysis.

"It will be an invaluable source of data for researchers in facial aesthetics and a host of other disciplines," Dr. Bashour explains. "It will ultimately be of use to plastic and reconstructive surgeons, psychologists, sociologists, artists, even philosophers...and of course, photographers. For example, think of its potential in defining and analyzing standards of attractiveness...what makes a smile fetching or what makes eyes alluring. Its potential uses are limitless".

This ambitious project has been in the planning and development stage for six years. Now, with the capabilities of the Kodak DCS 560, the technical details are falling into place. "The DCS 560 has been crucial," Dr. Bashour claims. "It allows us to capture multiple high quality images that are totally standardized. No other system provides this type of precision and accuracy."

Condensed from Man of a Thousand Faces in the Summer 1999 issue of KODAK Imaging News

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