Photo Editor Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a photo editor job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a photo editor. Feel free to use our photo editor job description template to produce your own photo editor job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a photo editor.
Who is a Photo Editor?
Photography or snapshots of photos are what people love and it has been gaining prominence over the years because photos are what people use to keep memory or record events. A photo editor is a professional who selects, positions, and photographs for publication in outlets like magazines, newspapers, and books.
Photo Editors select artistically appealing photographs to accompany magazine articles. The responsibilities photo editors perform are brainstorming creative concepts with editors, coordinating photography assignments, and getting copyright permission. Some photo editors work with smaller organizations and may shoot pictures for publications while others’ responsibility is to edit photos that were previously shot. When photo editors receive pictures that others have shot, they carefully evaluate them to take any medication or alteration that matches the publication’s guidelines, preference, or layout.
To excel as a photo editor, you need to have a deep-rooted passion for photography and it is a must because it can be a very competitive industry. A photo editor’s job responsibilities may vary depending on the industry or company he or she is working at. Experienced photo editors often are saddled with the responsibility of supervising other team members like photographers or entry-level photo editors. They also work closely with department heads and managers to decide the kind of pictures for a particular project they want to embark on. Large or established corporations typically have photography staff who takes pictures and then hand them over to photo editors to evaluate and modify. Other photo editors can also get photos from outside agencies or they can even take the pictures on their own since most of them have photography experience.
Photo Editor Job Description
What is a photo editor job description? A photo editor job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a photo editor in an organization. Below are the photo editor job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a photo editor job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The following are the duties and responsibilities of a Photo Editor:
- Perform research on current trends in photography styles, techniques, and technologies to keep abreast of industry trends
- Study photos were taken by photographers on assignment to determine which image will be used in published materials
- Prepare image files for publication, including cropping, retouching, color correction, adding text or graphics, and converting formats
- Edit photos to boost composition and aesthetics, using digital software such as Photoshop
- Allocate photographers to cover specific events or subjects
- Supervise the department’s workflow to ensure the deadlines are met
- Promote the creation of photo essays, such as capturing B-roll footage for use in a video presentation
- Assessand select images used in advertising campaigns or other marketing materials
- Choose photos for publication in printed newspapers or online magazines
- Discuss with the editorial team and brainstorm creative ideas
- Employ a specialist photographer and negotiate fees if necessary
- Maintain track of industry trends and advancementsin the field of photographic editing
- Collect feedback from editorial teams and make relevant changes when necessary
- Submit photographic designs for approval promptly
- Choose photographs that complement the text in the way envisaged by the editorial team
- Organize photography assignmentsand allocate projects to in-house photographers
- Order extra photography supplies
- Draftfuture projects with photographers, editors, and advertisers
- Select images to publish in print or web publications
- Utilize photo editing software tools and applications to correctly adjust and manipulate tools
- Protect and care for all cameras, computers,and other photography equipment
Essential Skills
- A bachelor’s degree in photography, graphic design, visual arts,or a related field
- 2-3 experience in photo editing or a similar role
- A complete portfolio of work-related examples
- Progressive proficiency in photograph editing software, such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and InDesign
- Outstanding creative abilities as reflected in appealing photographic content
- Proficiency to collaborate on projects to integrate editorial feedback
- Comprehensive experience in coordinating photography projects and meeting deadlines
- Substantial knowledge of copyright and other relevant permissions
- Ability in keeping up with photography trends and related technologies
- Terrific communication skills
- Expertise and analytical mindset
- Capacity to multi-task or under pressure
- Profound understanding of photography styles and techniques
- Competent in Adobe Creative Suite
Essential Skills
- Editing Skills: Photo editors need to possess this skill because this is the core aspect of their job responsibility. Editing skill brings aboutchanges or modifications to photos such as adjusting light, removing objects, and increasing the effect of the photos. This is very important because it is through editing that photo editors can bring out the beauty of a picture and it also helps them to enhance the image quality. Photoshop and InDesign skills are used to perform small corrections on pictures to enhance them.
- Communication Skills: Photo editors often need to communicate with their customers and their team members. Effective communication skills are very important because it also helps you to give a listening ear to the demands of a client. Some clients may have a specification of how they want their picture to appear and you must listen to them appropriately in order not to misinterpret them. You can also communicate complex photo editing terminologies to clients and other team members.
- Technical Skills: there are photo editing skills and software that a photo editor needsto have to become proficient in discharging his or her duties. They use these technical skills to edit and create graphic designs for pictures. They may utilize software like Photoshop or any other image-editing software to crop, adjust and resize images. They may also utilize the software to formulate graphics such as graphs, charts, and other types of images.
- Critical Thinking Skills: Critical thinking deals with possessing a creative and analytical mindset to imagine different kinds of graphic designs that will be suitable for a particular photo shoot. As a photo editor, you may be saddled with the responsibility to work on a photo that doesnot possess all the information you need. At this juncture, there is a need for you to employ your creative skills into use to decide what you will do with the photo.p
- Time-management: Photo editors need to work promptly to deliver the task at hand. For instance, a newspaper publication house may ask a photo editor to work on an image within a stipulated time frame. It is the responsibility of the photo editor to work very hard to meet up with the client’s demands. A photo editor must also that he or she does not disappoint a client because it can spell doom for his or her career.
- Problem-solving Skills: in course of working as a photo editor, challenges will always emerge,and one such challenge is a picture is not displaying appropriately or when a file is corrupted. It is your responsibility as a Photo Editor to find solutions to technical and non-technical issues. For instance, a good example of non-technical issues is when a model does not show up for a photo shoot or when a particular location is not available for a shoot.
How to Become a Photo Editor
To excel in this field as a photo editor, then you must have in-depth knowledge and experience of photography. You can acquire this experience by enrolling in education and training. Below are the tips accentuated below for one to become a photo editor and they are:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree
The first step an aspiring photo editor candidate must embark on is to acquire a bachelor’s degree in graphics design, photography, photojournalism, digital media, visual art, or a related field. These programs will expose you to the rudiments of photography and photo editing. This program will also help you hone some salient skills that a photo editor is expected to have. Most employers prefer candidates who have at least a bachelor’s degree in photography to fit in perfectly into the role of a photo editor. During this program, you can learn courses such as; color photography, artistic and photography knowledge, computer imaging, lighting, and digital editing to have strong technical skills. Many courses also focus on some photo editing software you may use such as Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite, and other software which will help you on the job.
- Enroll in a Job Training
The next step is to enroll in an internship to gain extensive knowledge and experience in the industry of your choice. There are different photo editing programs at colleges and universities that you can embark on to gain the requisite experience. You can enroll for a voluntary internship in a professional publication or agency; it can be full-time or part-time but this solely depends on your availability and the organizational policy of where you are working. Internships also offer you a wide range of opportunities to build a network of professionals in the photo editing field who can help you locate full time-jobs.
- Build your Portfolio
A portfolio simply means a collection of your previous work; compile all the collection of your past project and use it as a reference point to show clients and prospective employers your competence in the field of photo editing. Your portfolio is a selling point that showcases your editing talents and prowess to give the hiring manager an idea that you are proficient in the field. You can also hire a professional to help you create an excellent portfolio for you to stand out among other job candidates in the field. Some programs train photo editors on how they can compile a good portfolio. You can also showcase your talents to most people via social media; post your portfolio on Facebook and Twitter for people to see to increase the level of your patronage.
- Become a Photographer
It is only a good photographer that can become a good photo editor because he or she understands the rudiments of the profession. You can also employ the skills you have as a photographer in photo editing. Utilize your photography experience to provide guidance and bring about an excellent piece of work or a project. Once you have spent most of your years working as a photographer. You can become an excellent photo editor because of your experience as a photographer and it will also help you to channel your photography clients to become your photo editing client.
- Advance your Career
You can advance your career by obtaining an online certification or enrolling for a master’s degree in graphic art or design. There are many professional master’s courses on photography that will be highly beneficial when you enroll in them. You can learn topics such as imaging, studio lighting, digital editing, and color photography. Graduating from these post-graduate studies will help you to become an excellent photo editor.
Where Can a Photo Editor Work?
Photo Editors can work in diverse places such as newspaper and magazine publications, book publishing houses, newsrooms, advertising agencies, and yearbooks. They work at least 40 hours per week in an office setting and they can also work as personal photo editors with their studios. Their work usually exposes them to a lot of chemicals that a picture’s appearance.
Photo Editor Salary Scale
The salary of a photo editor varies across countries and below are some examples:
- In the United States, the typical photo editor’s salary in the USA is $39,000 per year or $20 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $29,250 per year while most experienced photo editors earn up to $58,500 per year. The salary varies based on the geographical location of the Photo Editor.
- In India, the typical photo editor’s salary in India is ₹ 288,021 per year or ₹ 148 per hour. Entry-level positions start their career at ₹ 222,000 per year, while most experienced workers earn up to ₹ 1,038,000 per year.
- In the United Arab Emirates, a person working as an Editor in the United Arab Emirates typically earns around 16,800 AED per month. Salaries range from 7,750 AED (lowest) to 26,800 AED (highest). The salary comes with other benefits such as medical, transport and others.
- In the Philippines, the average editor’s salary in the Philippines is ₱ 414,000 per year or ₱ 212 per hour. Entry-level positions start at ₱ 300,000 per year, while most experienced photo editors earn up to ₱ 690,000 per annum.
- In Nigeria, a person working as an Editor in Nigeria typically earns around 305,000 NGN per month. Salaries range from 140,000 NGN (lowest) to 485,000 NGN (highest). This is the normal monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits