I haven't seen something like this done before with such detail and precision. A woman named Amanda Ghassaei has taken traditional greyscale photos, and modified each pixel based on its shade. She made a 3D model of the photos by making the darker pixels thicker than the lighter pixels. She then printed these photos out on a Objet Connex 500 3D printer, and the results were quite mind blowing. When the 3D prints are backlit they are extremely details 3D renditions of the original 2D photos. Read more about this incredible method at http://3dprint.com/13856/3d-printed-photographs/

Yes this is a 3D print: