At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.
Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.
At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.
Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.
Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.
Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.
Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.
Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.
About the Role
Working as a member of the Imaging Section, Digital Collections and Imaging Services (DCIS), the Collections Photographer is responsible for producing high-quality digital images of the Huntington’s collections for research, access, exhibition, and preservation use. Works with a wide variety of cultural heritage materials, everything from bound manuscripts to photographic prints and negatives, to paintings and sculptures, balancing best practices and completing deadlines to ensure images are produced safely and to standards-based specs handling both studio and on-location assignments. Troubleshoots equipment and software, recommends supplies, and workflow improvements. Reports to the Imaging Services Manager.
This is a limited term, position- budgeted through March 2027, with the possibility of renewal.
Essential Duties
Performs digital capture of cultural heritage materials using specialized high-resolution camera systems, studio lighting, digitization equipment and tools to DCIS specifications, fulfilling orders that originate both inside and outside of The Huntington.
Performs post-processing and standards-based quality control of digital images, working with digital asset management.
Prepares and organizes digital files for ingest into digital repositories or delivery to other destinations utilizing file naming and tracking protocols.
Collaborate with digitization and conservation colleagues to identify the most efficient workflows for digitizing materials safely, while also maintaining the highest standards of quality.
Handles studio photography and on-location assignments on the grounds and in the galleries. Also handles occasional off-campus assignments, including setup, lighting, and photography.
Assists in equipment maintenance.
Maintains a safe working environment.
Qualifications
B.A., B.F.A. in photography, or equivalent training and experience.
Mastery of the principles of photography, both classical and digital.
Demonstrated expertise in digital photography methods and equipment, ideally within a digitization context.
Demonstrated experience using photography related software within a Mac environment, including high competence in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Acrobat, Golden Thread, FileMakerPro and the ability to stay abreast of emerging photo software.
Familiarity with library, archives, and art materials, preferred.
Ability to learn and consistently carry out best practices for handling fragile cultural materials.
Must be flexible, comfortable working both independently and as part of a team, and able to thrive in a changing environment, collaborating with staff from all parts of the institution.
Ability to work to goals and meet deadlines and productivity targets.
Strong interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.
Working Conditions
Work in office, laboratory, gallery, and garden environments; may work off site.
Work with photographic chemicals.
Work with materials and books in places that may be dusty and moldy.
Frequently twist/bend, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, grasp forcefully, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects in a safe manner.
Visual acuity including color vision.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
Pay Rate: $27.00/hr.
Medical, Dental, Vision
403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds
The Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.
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