| Before
computers, photo transmissions were live: direct from the field, through
a central pictures desk and directed to the clients on specialized cables.
Newspaper photo departments had large thermal receivers/printers, which
converted the audio signal into gray scale values giving a fax-like reconstitution
of the original photograph of quality acceptable for newsprint. As computers
moved into the newsroom, newswire picture services installed digital darkrooms
to store the images transmitted from the field. These images could now
be edited and moved on a priority basis to subscribers. In the field,
photographers replaced the print enlarger, typewriter, and drum transmitter
with a single-unit negative scanner - Hasselblad Dixel, Leafax, or T1
- equipped with a screen and a keyboard, capable of transmitting color
photo projects over phone lines from a unit the size of carry-on luggage.
Mouse over images to see color. |
