What to look for in a photo editor

Whether you’re looking for a photo editor, or hoping to become a GREAT photo editor, this post is for you!

Our last post convinced you of all the amazing ways you could benefit from outsourcing your photo editing to a professional. By now you’re probably excited to pass on a chunk of your workload to someone else and finally spend an evening NOT squinting at thousands of photos on your computer screen.

But before you can do that, you need to find a good editor. The hard question is: what makes a good photo editor?! In the wild wild west of the Internet, there are thousands of people vying for your business and not all of them should be trusted with it. The last thing you want to do is make even more work for yourself by hiring someone who can’t deliver to your high standards. Doing a quick Google to find the person with the cheapest rates is just not going to cut it.

We recommend that you ask to see multiple examples of any prospective editors’ work, read their client testimonials and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions about how they work, and what you can expect if you hire them.

At Moss & Meadow Creative, we believe you should look for (at least) these six key qualities in a photo editor

Consistency in edits

As a photographer, the consistent aesthetic you’ve built throughout your career is your brand. It’s your vibe: it’s what makes your photos good and it’s why your clients chose you. Your photo editor should not only match the style you’ve developed, but match it in every single photograph. You can check for consistency levels by asking to see a full gallery of an editor’s past work.

Good communicator

Communication can make or break a photographer/editor relationship. The whole point of hiring an editor is to make life easier for yourself, so the last thing you want is lots of back-and-forths, misunderstandings and waiting around for responses. After all, any delay on your editor’s end is going to impact your client, which could be detrimental to your business.

You can get a good idea of an editor’s communication skills in the preliminary scouting process. Is their correspondence prompt? Do they set out clear expectations? Will they confirm when galleries are received and keep you updated on their progress and turn-around time?


Listens to feedback

A good editor will be gracious and receptive to your feedback - not resistant, or defensive. These are your photos and it’s you wearing the creative director’s hat in this situation. As long as you’re very clear about what you want, your editor should listen to and implement the feedback you offer.


Adaptable editing style

While photo edits should be consistent within single galleries, your editor should be able to demonstrate adaptability from client to client. Check out their portfolio. Can you see a variety of different styles? Being adept at recognising and emulating editing styles means your photo editor is more likely to successfully mirror yours, too.


Attention to detail

This is one quality that can be difficult to find in a photo editor. That’s because they often work with a huge volume of photographs and end up taking shortcuts to deliver on time. As you know, detail matters profoundly in photography. You need to trust that your editor is paying attention to the details so that you don’t have to spend hours afterwards correcting their mistakes.


Ownership

There is one quality that turns a good editor into an exceptional editor: they treat your photos like they’re theirs. They care about the quality they’re delivering, and they care about doing the best possible job for you and your clients. For guaranteed quality, find a photo editor who takes ownership over their work and truly loves what they do.

If you’re looking for an editor that loves your work as much as you do, that listens to AND implements your feedback, and most importantly, that puts in the hours and dedication to take a little off of your plate, feel free to reach out to us by clicking the button below 🤗

Aspiring photo editors, if you’re looking for tools and resources to help you become an even better photo editor, sign up for the email list! We will be beginning to offer even more services to aspiring editors later this year 😍