General Responsibilities

The Imaging Technician helps produce high-quality digital images of collection objects, events, exhibition installations, library, and archival materials, as well as video and audio files in accordance with established standards. This position creates assets using scanners and digital cameras, applies digital image processing techniques, and generates derivative files. The Imaging Technician handles rare and fragile materials, including rare books, photographs, archival materials, and maps. The Imaging Technician also assists with special projects such as Artstor image contributions, a large-scale museumwide digitization initiative, and implementation of digital asset management software.

Specific Duties

1. Scan and/or photograph transparencies, negatives, slides, and documentation.

2. Assess digital image files for quality assurance purposes and identify images that need to be rescanned or photographed from their original formats.

3. Ensure proper color management processes are followed.

4. Organize, maintain, and properly store all analog and digital Menil Collection assets, including transparencies, negatives, photographic prints, and video and audio files.

5. Assist with new photography of collection objects and events.

6. Help maintain the studio space, cold storage room, and supplies.

7. Operate digital cameras and scanners.

8. Set up camera equipment and studio lighting equipment.

9. Handle rare books and photographic and archival materials according to established guidelines.

10. Perform quality control reviews.

11. Record and report production statistics and monitor milestones.

12. Enter and update image inventory fields in the collection management database (TMS).

13. Embed image metadata into asset files and digital asset management software.

14. Write technical documentation in a clear and accessible style.

15. Organize, archive, and file images in the image library.

Qualifications

1. A bachelor’s degree in an arts-related field such as photography and knowledge or appreciation of art is preferred.

2. A minimum of two to three years’ experience in an Imaging Technician or Photography role is highly desired, preferably at a museum, image archive, library, or other arts-related or non-profit organization.

3. Thorough understanding of digital still image file creation, including image sizing, bit depth, color profiling, image resolution, compression, and creating derivatives.

4. Knowledge of digital cameras, monitor calibration, scanners, and lighting.

5. Advanced skill level with the Adobe Creative Cloud applications, specifically Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom, and Premiere.

6. Familiarity with CaptureOne.

7. Knowledge of FADGI and Metamorfoze guidelines.

8. Working knowledge of digital preservation and archiving best practices, including file naming and embedding and extracting metadata from and into digital image files according to standards and workflows.

9. Basic knowledge of The Museum System (TMS) and digital asset management software preferred.

10. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat.

11. Experience optimizing files for YouTube and various social media platforms.

12. Ability to work on both Mac and PC and basic knowledge about servers and IT infrastructure.

13. Must be flexible and enjoy working both collaboratively and independently and learning new technology.