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. 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, and word processing programs.

Postsecondary Training

Most large and prestigious companies will want 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, Apple iPhoto, 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, American Society of Picture Professionals, National Press Photographers Association, Photographic Society of America, and the Professional Photographers of America. Contact these organizations for more information. 

Certification or Licensing

There are no certification or licensing requirements for photo editors.

Photo editors need at least five years of experience as a press photographer. Experience working for a college publication or internship will also be helpful.

You should be adept at working with people and for people. As an editor, you will often be the liaison between the client or upper management and the reporters and photographers working for you. You need to be able to communicate the needs of the project to all those working on it. Other important traits include organizational skills and the ability to work under deadline pressure.

Knowledge of photo editing software such as Photoshop, InDesign, and other programs in the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite, will be helpful. Thriving in a changing environment is key, as well as being organized and highly creative. Because many photo editors work for digital marketing companies, they must understand online marketing concepts, such as search engine optimization (SEO), and the difference between license-free and copyrighted art.