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This Is the Tech Behind Breaking News Photos
How photojournalists share critical photos so quickly
In photojournalism, speed has always been critical. Back in the film era, newspapers had bustling in-house darkrooms so they could process photos quickly. Many issued their photographers specific types of film that were easy and forgiving to develop. Some photojournalists even carried small darkrooms with them and developed their film in the field.
Today, getting photos of a breaking news event to the public as quickly as possible is still crucial. But today’s photojournalists have a range of gadgets and tech tools in their arsenals that allow them to publish photos within seconds of taking them. When attackers invaded the U.S. Capitol in early January, several photojournalists risked their lives to follow the mob inside. In many cases, the photos they took — like Saul Loeb’s iconic photo of insurgent Richard Barnett with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk — were published before the mob had even left the building. Here’s a look at the tech behind modern photojournalism’s amazing speed.
Photojournalists have always been just one part of a much larger — often invisible — ecosystem. We’re the boots on the ground, making creative choices and taking the actual pictures. But before a photojournalist arrives on the scene of a news…
