Professional Experience
Passionate photo editor, photo director and photographer with invaluable hands-on journalism and editorial experience. Versatile and reliable. Nurtures strong relationships with stock photo agencies, photo editors, photographers, as well as editors and designers. Award-winning visual storyteller. Comfortable with fast-paced environment and calm under pressure. Clear communicator. Possess a thorough understanding of intellectual property usage rights and licensing terms. Excellent manager with talent for building a cohesive and productive team dedicated to meeting deadlines and budget requirements while exceeding client demands.
Standout Skills
- Cost Control
- Clear Communication
- Cross-Team Collaboration
- Decision Making
- Digital Photography
- Licensing & Usage Rights
- Photo Research & Curation
- Team Management
- Quality Control
- Vendor Relations
- Visual Storytelling
- Visual Branding Consistency
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Kids Media, Washington, D.C.
Photo Director, 2016 to Present Manage budgets, photographic deliverables and in-house and freelance teams. Lead teams in procurement and creation of visuals assets of sales-driving, brand-extending and cross-channel publications including books, magazines, and web sites. Photo-direct visual identity for kids media that consistently captures prestigious national awards, rave client reviews and strong business results, including:
- $1M revenue from single product on one year (New York Times bestselling 2017 NGKids Almanac)
- 2018 Kidscreen Award for Best Kids Website (kids.nationalgeographic.com)
- 18% year-over-year sales growth (Trade books 2017)
- Starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, School Library Journal (Animal Ark, Stubby the War Dog, Master George’s People, National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry, The World is Waiting for You, Marching to the Mountaintop, Bet You Didn’t Know, Wheels of Change, This Book Stinks, March Against Fear, etc.)
Senior Photo Editor, 2010 to 2016 Photo edited and photographed 75-85 award-winning kids books per year on a wide variety of subjects including nature, history, culture, geography, science and social studies. Managed budgets and implemented cost-saving measures, including the creation of a permanent collection of perpetual-use photography. Negotiated with vendors for usage rates, rights and permissions. Supervised staff of 2-5 freelance photographers, photo editors, assistants and interns. Maintained database of photo rights and metadata. Collaborated with editorial, design and manufacturing team members. Exhibited comprehensive knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, digital work flow and color management. Color proofed all images to ensure best quality print production.
Photo Editor, 2005-2010 Photo edited 50-75 award-winning kids books per year on a wide variety of subjects including nature, history, culture, geography, science and social studies. Managed budgets and negotiated with vendors for usage rates, rights and permissions. Supervised staff of 2 assistants and interns. Maintained database of photo rights and metadata. Collaborated with editorial, design and manufacturing team members. Color proofed all images to ensure best quality print production.
BARNES & NOBLE PUBLISHING, New York, N.Y.
Assistant Director of Photography, 2000-2005 Researched and photo edited thousands of photos for books and calendars. Supported the Director of Photography in daily operation of photo department including organizing on-location photo shoots, rate negotiation with vendors, and representing the photo department at meetings and trade shows. Managed staff of 3-5 people while creating a comfortable and productive work environment
LORI EPSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Freelance Photographer, 1995 to present. Launched and grew photography business, professionally represented by National Geographic Creative. Editorial, travel, environmental portrait, wedding and family photography, on location around the world.
PORTFOLIO BOOKS, Rehoboth Beach, D.E.
Freelance Photographer, 1995-1999 Managed small publishing company, edited photos and text, assisted shooting and supervised overseas printing. Worked from concept to product. Assisted and photographed for Frommer’s Travel Guides, The Wilmington News Journal, Delaware Today Magazine, and various annual reports. Edited and cataloged stock photography, scheduled assignments, handled billing, inventory and stock sales.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY, Boston, Massachusetts
Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism
Computer Skills Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro DC); Mac OS X; Nikon Cameras; FileMaker Pro; MediaGrid; InSite; Quad Graphics Soft Proof Manager; Tipalti; Jira;