Staff Photographer, NYT Wirecutter

About the Role, Mission or Department Overview

Wirecutter is seeking a staff photographer to own product photography and key hero imagery for the Wirecutter Store, while supporting major editorial moments across the site when bandwidth allows. Photography is a primary way many readers will experience the Store — and, in turn, Wirecutter — so this role is central to making the Store feel as trustworthy, human, and service-first as our journalism.

As staff photographer for the Wirecutter Store and editorial moments, you will focus on developing a cohesive visual identity for the Store, producing high-quality imagery for our product detail pages and collections, and partnering closely with editors, designers, and cross-functional partners to bring Wirecutter's testing and recommendations to life. You'll help ensure that what people see in the Store reflects the same rigor, care, and taste that goes into our reviews.

You'll work from our Long Island City studio and report into Wirecutter's creative leadership, collaborating with colleagues across the photo team, editorial, audience, marketing, commerce, and product.

This role is based in New York City and will require regular in-person work in our studio.

Responsibilities:

Own product and hero photography for the Wirecutter Store:

• Shoot hero images and collections for the Store homepage, key landing pages, and other Store entry points.
• Produce supporting imagery for product detail pages (PDPs), including angles, detail shots, and in-use photography that reflect our testing insights and how products live in people's homes.
• Ensure Store imagery meets Wirecutter's editorial standards and feels consistent with our broader photography across reviews and features.

Build and maintain a cohesive Store photography system:

• Develop a repeatable visual system for Store imagery, including standards for angles, lighting, backgrounds, and cropping so the Store feels unified even as the catalog grows.
• Partner with creative and product teams to ensure Store templates and modules showcase photography in ways that support readability, accessibility, and trust.
• Help maintain and evolve a Store photography style guide that aligns with Wirecutter's brand and Store principles.

Support major editorial and moments:

• Partner with editors and designers on large editorial packages that need new photography.
• Plan and execute Store-focused shoots tied to seasonal collections, tentpole events, and other key editorial moments on the calendar.
• Collaborate with audience and marketing partners to create imagery that can be repurposed across newsletters, social, and other off-platform surfaces.

Collaborate across teams to align visual strategy with Store goals:

• Work closely with commerce, marketing, and product partners to understand Store priorities and ensure photography supports both editorial and business goals without compromising independence and trust.
• Provide input on where custom photography can replace or improve upon vendor imagery to better express Wirecutter's standards and testing ethos.
• Participate in cross-functional planning for Store moments, helping to scope photography needs, timelines, and tradeoffs.

Maintain standards for execution and operations:

• Operate and help maintain the Long Island City studio, including lighting, camera equipment, sets, and prop organization.
• Own post-production for Store photography, including editing, color, and basic retouching in line with Wirecutter's style.
• Keep files organized, properly tagged, and easily discoverable so Store and editorial teams can reuse assets across surfaces.
• Perform related work as assigned.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
• You will report to the Creative Director, NYT Wirecutter.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of professional photography experience, ideally with editorial, ecommerce, or product-focused teams.
• A strong portfolio of original photography that demonstrates a sophisticated eye for composition, lighting, prop styling, and storytelling, with an emphasis on product or lifestyle imagery.
• Experience working in studio environments and on-location, including comfort with both natural and artificial light.
• Proficiency with professional camera systems and studio lighting, as well as post-production workflows on Mac systems; fluency with Capture One, Adobe Lightroom, and Photoshop.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Develop and follow visual style guides, and to contribute to building cohesive visual systems across a large catalog of work.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, including experience working with editors, designers, and cross-functional partners to align on creative direction and deliver on deadlines.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple shoots, priorities, and stakeholders at once, while maintaining a high bar for quality.
• A deep interest in Wirecutter's mission and a commitment to upholding our standards for independence, rigor, and service journalism in all Store- and editorial-related photography.

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.

REQ-020368