Lab Crew - Photo Editor

Central Photo Company; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 28,000 - 34,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hands-On Leadership

Bonus based on performance

Opportunity for advancement

Job summary

Central Photo Company in Washington, DC is seeking a Lab Crew member to edit panoramic group portraits using Lightroom and Photoshop. This in-office, production role emphasizes speed, accuracy, and consistency in handling high volumes from capture to delivery.

You’ll apply color correction, cropping, and retouching across large groups, manage files, and move batches through the production queue while coordinating with the field and print teams.

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
• Experience editing panoramic or large-group portraits is a plus.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow a production workflow.

Responsibilities

• Edit panoramic group portraits in Lightroom and Photoshop.
• Apply consistent color correction, exposure balancing, cropping, and alignment.
• Retouch to improve clarity and polish across many images.
• Move images through the production queue quickly and accurately.
• Archive and organize files and track progress in CRM.

Skills

Lightroom proficiency

Photoshop proficiency

Color correction

Image retouching

Batch processing

Fast, accurate editing

Tools

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Benefits:

• Hands-On Leadership
• Bonus based on performance
• Opportunity for advancement

Are you a Lightroom and Photoshop wizard?

Do you care about details and refuse to cut corners?

Can you follow a defined process step-by-step, repeatedly, without drifting?

Are you able to stay focused, move fast, and produce clean, consistent edits at scale?

Does the panoramic format interest you?

The Role
Since 1919, Central Photo Company has been photographing panoramic group portraits at iconic American landmarks.

The Lab Crew is responsible for editing and delivering those images after they’re captured in the field. This is an in-office role based in Washington, DC.

You’ll work with high volumes of panoramic group portraits, editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, managing files, and preparing final images for print and delivery.

This is a production role. The work is structured, repetitive, and requires speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Why This Role Exists

• Every group that steps in front of a Central Photo Company lens expects a final image that looks clean, balanced, and worth keeping.
• The Field Crew captures the image. The Lab Crew ensures it’s edited, processed, and delivered correctly every time.
• You take each photo from captured → edited → delivered.
• Speed matters a lot. Consistency matters more.
• You are expected to follow the process closely while maintaining efficiency over continuous editing sessions.

What You’ll Do

• Edit panoramic group portraits using Lightroom and Photoshop
• Apply consistent color correction, exposure balancing, cropping, and alignment across large group images
• Retouch images to ensure clarity, visibility, and overall polish
• Move photos through the production queue efficiently and accurately
• Track group information and editing progress within our CRM system
• Send finalized files to print and ensure proper delivery setup
• Archive images and maintain organized file systems
• Work cross-functionally to move each group from photo taken to photo delivered

How the Role Functions

This is a team-based production environment with a defined workflow.A typical cycle:

• Receive image sets from the field
• Edit in Lightroom
• Refine and retouch in Photoshop
• Prepare and export for print
• Log, track, and archive files

You are expected to maintain speed, follow the system, and produce consistent results across every batch.

Who Thrives Here

This role is well-suited for people who:

• Are detail-oriented and process-driven
• Can stay focused for long periods of time
• Work quickly without sacrificing quality
• Are comfortable with repetition and production workflows
• Take pride in making people look good in photos
• Care about historic landmarks, group experiences, and preserving moments
• Communicate clearly and work well within a team

This is a customer-facing business. Even in the lab, care, accountability, and follow-through matter.

Required Skills

• Strong proficiency in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
• Solid understanding of editing fundamentals (lighting, color correction, masking, etc.)
• Comfort using hotkeys and working efficiently within Adobe workflows
• Experience editing people, large groups, and outdoor environments
• Strong retouching ability with an eye for balance and consistency
• Ability to follow a structured editing process
• Strong organizational and file management skills
• Clear communication and ability to work within a team

Preferred Experience

Experience with high-volume editing workflows
Able to self-correct and maintain consistency across batches
Experience working with presets or batch workflows
Basic troubleshooting mindset when issues arise
2+ years of experience using both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (or equivalent proficiency)

Compensation & Schedule

$20–$25 per hour, based on experience

Part-time, in-office role based in Washington, DC

Schedule aligns with active bookings

Central operates Monday through Saturday, 9AM–5PM, rain or shine.

As groups are photographed, edits are required