Jim Powell has almost 30 years’ picture editing experience, 25 of them with the Guardian and the Observer newspapers.
Jim was deputy photo editor of the Independent newspaper before taking up the role of deputy photo editor of the Observer. He was the photo editor on the Observer Sport Monthly (OSM) magazine from its launch in 2000. The Observer and OSM won many awards for photography and design, including British Society of Magazine Editors Supplement of the Year, Sports Journalism Awards, and British Press Award Magazine Supplement of the Year.
From 2008-2014 Jim was development picture editor of the Guardian, producing online visual content which included developing 360º photography for the Guardian website, producing interactive ‘now and then’ photography and commissioning and designing photo-essays with audio. These projects enhanced the Guardian’s reputation as a leading producer of innovative online photographic content.
Between 2014-2021 he was sports photo editor at both the Guardian and the Observer newspapers. From 2021-2025 he was the photo editor of the Observer; and since April this year he has been associate photo editor of the Guardian.
Jim was on the international jury for the leading photojournalism awards, the Visa D’Or Feature and News Awards in Perpignan, from 2012 until this year.