Picture this: St. John's artist sells 3,500 photos for hotel mural

You can't blame Michael Winsor being a bit skeptical when a request came in to his websiteasking to buy 3,500 pictures.

"This is a bit sketchy," the award-winning photographer thought at the time when he saw the inquiryfrom the Alt Hotel.

Still, he emailed a one-line reply out of curiosity.

"I did some research online about their other hotels and then I found out it was legit. Then I was pretty excited."

Now, Winsor's work fills an entire wall of the downtown St. John's hotel.

Artists photographs turned into Instagram Art at Alt Hotel

7 years ago

Duration 1:46

St. John's hotel bought 3,500 of Michael Winsor's pics

The art exhibit is about 10feet high with the 3,500 pictures resized into small two-by-two-inch squares.

Pictures have been organized by hue, with blue skiesand sunsets and other imagesgiving the wall a wave of colours.

There are three screens imbedded in the wall, and if you use the hashtag#AltExpo on Instagram the photo will then join the slideshow, making the artwork interactive.

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Winsor has spent the better part of a decade travelling the province taking pictures, doing his best to capture the scenery and wildlife.

"From the Torngat Mountains all the way down to Grand Bank over to Rose Blanche and Cape Spear," he said.

The wall is the first thing people see when they enter the new Water Street hotel.

Winsor won't say what the hotel paid, but he's happy with how the exhibit looks.

"It's great," hesaid.

"As any artist you always want to have your work displayed for people to view, and when you look at 3,500 images that's pretty much all of your artwork that you've taken over the years."