Sitex Computers: The Photoshop Of the 80s

Every now and then it's fun to go back in time to see how photographers approached photoshoots requiring a large amount of production. Back in 1988 Brian King was on the cutting edge of digital photography with his use of Sitex imaging computers. Well before the advent of Photoshop, Brian was able to piece together multiple images by scanning negatives and turning them into primitive digital media. By today's standards, the final product is pretty comical but this is what the first results of 'digital photography' looked like in the advertising world. I have to say, if a single photograph took this much effort and planning today I would probably have given up on commercial photography a long time ago.

Patrick Hall's picture

Patrick Hall is a founder of Fstoppers.com and a photographer based out of Charleston, South Carolina.

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5 Comments

At the same time or earlier in Soviet Union - http://youtu.be/t2PsiJXswiM

Another SCITEX video, this one is with Dean Collins. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GywcLaJtTHg

Ha... nice shoes

Actually the first version of Photoshop was released 1988, so all this early development was kind of happening concurrently.

When I hit it big, I need a van with my name plastered on it. 80's style.

I hope my photography looks half that good when I finally figure out photoshop, hah.