Photo Editors

High School

In addition to photography classes, take illustration and other art classes to develop an artistic eye and familiarize yourself with other forms of visual aids that are used in publications. Math classes will come in handy, as editors have to exactly measure the size and resolution of photos (although software can also be used to accomplish this task). To be able to determine what photo will meet the needs of a project, you will have to do a lot of reading, so English and communications classes are useful. Last but certainly not least, computer science classes will be invaluable. As an editor, you will work with computers almost daily and must be comfortable with art, layout, photo editing software, and word processing programs.

Postsecondary Training

Most large and prestigious companies seek editors with a college degree in photography, visual art, or computer science. Employers will also want experience, so be sure to get as much exposure working on a publication as possible while in school. Other options are to go to a community college for a degree program; many offer programs in art, photography, or digital media that should be sufficient.

You should also be more than familiar with photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Corel Painter and PaintShop Pro, just to name a few.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education events, seminars, classes, and other activities are offered by many professional associations, including the American Society of Media Photographers, National Press Photographers Association, Photographic Society of America, and the Professional Photographers of America. Contact these organizations for more information.