A picture editor, also known as a photo editor, is a professional who collects, reviews, and chooses
photograph
A photograph (also known as a photo, or more generically referred to as an ''image'' or ''picture'') is an image created by light falling on a photosensitivity, photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor. Th ...
s and/or photo
illustration
An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...
s for publication in alignment with preset guidelines. Publications include, but are not limited to, websites,
book
A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
s,
magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
s,
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
s,
art galleries
An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...
,
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
catalogs, and corporate products, such as
catalogs and annual reports. In choosing photographs and illustrations, picture editors take into account their publication's standards, needs, and budget.
Tasks and skills
A picture editor/ photo editor hires professional photographers for assignments. The main types of assignment work and skill sets to arrange are location shoots and studio shoots. The photo editor's skill set for location shoots may involve obtaining permissions, permits, and scheduling subjects, scheduling travel, and creating a shot list. and organizational skills to produce a photo shoot which means may involve hiring studios, models, prop and wardrobe stylists, set builders, and hair and makeup professionals. The picture editor has a thorough knowledge of photographers working in many genres and located in many part of the globe; they understand copyright and legal standards for all types of
photographic usage and may also need to be familiar with moving images (
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
s). A picture editor knows how to find the most relevant image to suit the content they have to illustrate. A picture editor may oversee the edit and sequencing of images in stories, including photo essays, or photo books. The picture editor manages licenses, clears copyrights, and works within a budget.
Sometimes photo editors are in charge of an image data base; they are called photo librarians.
How the job is changing
New technologies and the omnipresence of images nowadays have drastically changed the way picture editors work.
They do their research mostly on the Internet, and have to browse a never-ending flow of images.
There are professional picture editors organizations, such as
ANI in France or Picture Research Association in the UK.
References
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Editors by type