Psychology Today magazine, published bimonthly, is seeking a part-time freelance Photo Editor reporting to the Creative Director who is very comfortable with the traditional skills expected from a print Photo Editor and AI-savvy to join and contribute to Psychology Today’s award-winning print team and our digital team. Blending traditional editorial photo editing with AI-image generation abilities, which supports the Creative Director’s vision and elevates the brand across print and social media. The production cycle is four weeks and pays a flat fee of $4500-$5500 for each issue.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities:
Print Issue
- Serve as photo editor for Psychology Today’s flagship print magazine, executing the visual direction set by the Creative Director.
- 9:45 a.m. Monday and Thursday Zoom meetings are required during the production cycle where we discuss items including production status, share future issues.
- Research, source, and license photography and illustration aligned with editorial tone and story psychology.
- Ability to produce a full range of photo shoots: Location (USA and abroad), studio still life and portrait shoots and model shoots depending on need. Interacting with model agencies, arranging casting calls, when needed sourcing support like hair and makeup, prop stylists, pricing studios, and pitching in to help in pre-production.
- Execute AI-assisted image concepts using image-generation tools such as Midjourney, DALL·E 3, Adobe Firefly, RunwayML, Leonardo AI, and Stable Diffusion, Co-Pilot. (Must have comfort with and exposure to these tools, even if you’ve not worked with all of them). * There will be an in office test at the interview
- Translate editorial or conceptual briefs into compelling AI-generated visuals that reflect PT’s distinctive aesthetic as defined by the Creative Director.
- Iterate quickly based on feedback from the Creative Director and editorial team. Assist with layouts using InDesign and InCopy. Must be very comfortable using Photoshop for basic retouching, color correcting, evaluating images from outside sources they are printable.
- Manage rights, credits, and art budgets, maintaining stock agency databases, mailing issues to contributors and establishing new relationships with talent, keeping abreast of trends, and changes in the the AI landscape.
- Photo taking abilities are a plus not not required
Social and Digital Content Team
- Adapt existing print imagery and create new imagery for social and web platforms — producing carousels, composites, and short motion/video treatments for Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and the PT website using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Canva, and Figma for layout and design; After Effects, Premiere Pro, or RunwayML for motion and animation; and Midjourney, DALL·E 3, or Adobe Firefly for AI-assisted image generation and enhancement, as per print.
- Collaborate with the social media team to produce visuals that drive engagement and brand recognition.
- Track visual trends and apply emerging AI or design tools to enhance output and speed.
Suggested Background
- 3+ years of experience in photo editing, digital content creation, or design (editorial, brand, or agency setting)
- Proven skill in AI-assisted image generation and digital compositing
- Portfolio that shows both technical excellence and an instinct for story-driven visual expression
- Be prepared to describe the process, time took to generate, program used, and early images from initial prompts (a case study of sorts)
