Advice From a Former Photo Editor

Once upon a time—back when photographers carried printed portfolios and fashion editors still smoked in the office—I worked as a photo editor for over 10 years at magazines like ELLE and Marie Claire. My job was to find photographers who could tell a story in a single frame. They’d show up with carefully curated books, nervous smiles, and often, with something special.

That was then. Now, the process has changed, but the expectations haven’t. Editors are still looking for vision, consistency, and professionalism. Only now, you don’t need to walk into the building—you just need to send an email. A good one.

Here’s what I wish every aspiring photographer knew before trying to get published:

1. Curate like a storyteller.

Don’t send the same work to Cosmopolitan and The New York Times. These publications speak completely different visual languages. Tailor your portfolio like you’re editing a film—frame by frame, with tone, rhythm, and voice. Around 20 strong images is enough, ideally from personal projects that reflect your world, not just polished client work.

And please—bad styling, makeup, or hair can ruin great photography. It doesn’t just look unfinished—it suggests bad taste. Editors notice everything.

2. Know who you are—and who you’re writing to.

*Fashion shoot for Style Book by Glamour.*

Be specific about your niche. Editors build lists in their heads: fashion shooters, portraitists, reportage photographers. If your work is unclear, you won’t be on any list.

So when you send that email, don’t write a manifesto. Just be honest. Why this magazine? What do you love about it? What section could your work live in? Avoid mass emails or “Hi there.” If you didn’t take the time to find their name, they won’t take the time to look at your work.

And don’t try to impress with big names. I never cared if someone shot for a brand I’d never heard of. If the work was good, I looked closer. If it wasn’t, no logos could save it.

3. Be honest about where you are.

Your strongest work won’t come from weddings or branded jobs—it comes from personal projects, made when no one’s watching. Editors want to see your voice, not your client list.

And please: don’t send “ready-to-print” content to major magazines. Those editorials are planned months in advance, with themes, brand obligations, and casting in place. Sending a finished story tells them you don’t understand how the system works.

Don’t inflate your credits, either. PhotoVogue is not Vogue. Editors always find out. Misrepresentation is a red flag.

Finally, know when you’re ready. I’ve been published. But only when the editorial team asked. They gave me the task, the concept, the team. And to be honest, I wouldn’t send my work to them now. Not because I’m not proud—but because I know I’m not in that place right now. I’m working commercially. I’m raising my kids. That’s life. It doesn’t make me less of an artist—it just makes me honest.

In summary?

Curate with intention. Write like a human. Know where you are on the map.

And please—don’t become a spammer.

And one last truth from the other side of the desk: the best photographers we published weren’t always the ones who knocked on our door. They were the ones whose work made us chase them down.

But do people even buy magazines anymore? Or do they scroll and subscribe to social-tubers instead?

Back then, getting published meant getting paid—real budgets, real travel, real assignments. It fed families. It wasn’t just vanity.

I don’t know what the budgets are now. I don’t even know how the magazines survive.

But I do know this: great photography still has a way of finding the light.

How to Get Published as a Photographer

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Portrait of Aitalina