12 Photography Internships for High School Students
If you're a high schooler with a passion for photography, pursuing an internship can provide you with hands-on experience, allow you to refine your skills, learn from seasoned professionals, and explore the dynamic world of photography. These internships will help you cultivate your passion for visual storytelling by capturing moments and mastering composition and lighting.
Whether you're interested in commercial photography, fine art photography, photojournalism, fashion photography, or any other niche area, securing a photography internship can be a pivotal step toward building a strong foundation for your future endeavors. An internship experience tells college admission officers you’re proactive about gaining practical experience early!
Here's a curated list of 12 photography internships for high school students. While some programs listed here are not structured as traditional internships, they do offer valuable practical experience and are worth considering.
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap-year students.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. Summer cohort (Priority Admission): March 17, 2024 | Summer cohort: April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1) | May 12, 2024 (Regular Admission 2)
Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Founded by Harvard alumni, Ladder Internships is a selective program that offers high school students a chance to intern with startups and nonprofits worldwide virtually. You can choose the field you wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including technology, machine learning, AI, computer science, finance, environmental science, sustainability, business, marketing, healthcare, medicine, media, journalism, and more. As an intern, you will work on meaningful projects that contribute to the startup or nonprofit’s larger mission, and present your work at the end of the program. This internship program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, among other skills, and group training sessions with fellow interns. You will be paired with a startup manager and a Ladder coach, who serves as a second mentor.
Opting to work in media and journalism, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to learn the nuances of photojournalism and work on your photography skills. The internship opportunities in this program span the globe, with a concentration in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and the UK. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
2. The Met High School Internship Program
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be students who are two to three years from graduating high school (in grades 10 and 11) or obtaining their High School Equivalency degree.
- Either reside in or attend a high school or home school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut.
Application Deadline: March 8, 2024
Dates: June 22, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns receive a $1,100 stipend paid in one installment.
The Met High School Internship Program offers paid opportunities for students to connect with art, museums, and creative professionals as they develop professional skills, network, and gain work experience. The High School Internship Program allows you to connect one-on-one and in small cohorts with Museum professionals in several related fields, including editorial, photography, marketing, social media, education, scientific research, conservation, and more. During your time at The Met, you’ll have the chance to find the intersection of your interests as you gain insights from peers and professionals.
During the internship, you’ll spend 10 to 20 hours per week observing, assisting, and being mentored by a staff member in one of the Museum's departments. The placement is determined by the intern's interests and the department’s internship project. If you’re interested in photography, you can opt to work in the Imaging Department, where you’ll get to observe and assist with imaging activities such as digitizing and archiving analog media, stitching multiple image files together, and calibrating cameras and monitors. You can check the various available departments here.
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old are eligible to participate.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Dates: May-August (8-10 weeks in the summer)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Paid (amount not specified)
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) accepts high school students for its Communications, Digital Media, and Curriculum Division. Selected interns will work with professional curriculum developers to create Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides and activities related to sustainability. They may also be required to support the department’s communications and marketing activities.
Some tasks that interns can undertake include conducting interviews, recording and transcribing them, editing and arranging photos, conducting research, writing, editing, participating in discussions and meetings, attending social events, and more.
Candidates should have an eye for visual communication, social media experience, experience or interest in photo, video, writing, and/or editing, science, education and curriculum, and the ability to adhere to tight deadlines. You will be mentored directly by the Marketing & Communications team and will receive feedback and guidance on their projects and content creation. If you’re interested in photography, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to work on your photography skills, photo editing, and arrangement.
4. Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture (BIAC)
Location: Brooklyn, NY.
Eligibility: Applicant must:
- Be a rising senior attending a high school in one of the five New York boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx).
- Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Application Deadline: May 10, 2024.
Dates: This program runs in three sessions, dates are yet to be announced. Summer 2024 (one week in August) | Fall 2024 (October-December) | Spring 2025 (February-June)
Note: Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 programs are held over 1-2 days per week after school
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will receive stipends for all three sessions. Stipend Amounts: Summer 2024: $375 | Fall 2024: $450 | Spring 2025: $525
Brooklyn Interns for Arts & Culture (BIAC) is a paid, one-year college, career, and life-readiness after-school internship program that welcomes a cohort of 15 New York City high school students each year. During the program, BIAC Interns learn what it takes to have a career in arts management, get support with post-high school planning, and learn critical wellness practices to help them manage life's transitions while building community.
As an intern, you get behind-the-scenes access to one of the country's oldest performing arts venues, grow your peer and professional network, learn from BAM professional staff, gain access to one-on-one support with the college application process, and receive college application fee waivers and/or SAT/ACT fee waiver(s). Students interested in photography will have an opportunity to build their skills by working in the fields of visual arts, design, and media.
5. Youth Programs at the Getty Museum - Getty Unshuttered
Location: Virtual (You can submit your work here).
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be between the ages of 13-19 years at the time of submission.
- Reside, or attend school, in California.
Application Deadline: Submissions open on January 26, 2024, and close in March.
Dates: Submissions typically open in January for the OPEN CALL. The winning works are typically announced in March.
Cost/Stipend: None
Although not a traditional internship, Getty Unshuttered is a photography-based initiative that provides a platform for learning, sharing, and other opportunities for teens, young people, and teachers across the country. It offers an intensive photography program for LA-based teens; an Open Call for original photographs from young artists; lesson plans and resources for high school educators; and exhibitions of student work at the Getty Museum and online.
25 winning photographs will be selected and winners will have the opportunity to be featured in Unshuttered’s online gallery, on social media, and travel to the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
For information regarding the requirements for the photograph submission and the judging criteria, check here. Visit the website to learn more about submission details.
6. Austin Film Festival - Young Filmmakers Program Internship
Location: Austin, TX.
Eligibility: Student Interns from any accredited university or Volunteer Interns for the same positions who do not need to be enrolled in any school or university are eligible to apply but the qualification requirements vary for different internships.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship opportunity.
Dates: Varies depending on the internship opportunity. Internships are offered during the summer, spring, and fall semesters.
Cost/Stipend: None.
Austin Film Festival offers a variety of student and volunteer internships for anyone interested in gaining insight and experience in the film industry. These internships will help you build foundational career skills in planning, execution, customer support, and team collaboration.
Each department has different qualification requirements. All Internships are unpaid and consist of a regular weekly work schedule within a particular AFF department. Internship opportunities are available in various departments - development, event planning, conference, office management, script competition, film competition, editing, production, archive, operations, young filmmakers program, summer film camp, marketing & PR, marketing design, photography, data management, and more. If you’re interested in photography, you can choose to work as an intern in the marketing department’s photography team, where you’ll have the following duties:
Taking photos and documenting all important and exciting moments at assigned locations during the Festival.
Assist with understanding, communicating, and executing the various needs between the AFF Marketing Team & Photography Team.
7. City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth (CLARIFY) by City Limits
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: NYC junior, senior, and graduating high school students
Application Deadline: Applications for spring 2024 will open soon, followed by the summer 2024 applications. Keep checking the Apply page to stay updated or email the team to learn more.
Dates: 2024 Dates TBA. The Summer 2023 program took place for 10 days in July.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a $500 stipend is paid to the students.
CLARIFY is an internship initiative of City Limits—the oldest nonprofit investigative news agency in NYC. The program seeks to involve students in public service journalism and help them improve their civic engagement, news and media literacy, and research, photography, writing, and interviewing skills.
10-15 selected interns will be involved in multiple aspects of reporting and news writing, including research, media ethics, interviewing, photojournalism, and more. The cohort will work together and individually on reporting local issues. Although most work and sessions are conducted online, interns may occasionally have to travel locally to interview sources.
8. Building-U High School Internships
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: The applicant must currently be enrolled as a K9 – K12 student. Students from all over the world, in grades 9-12, are encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: 3 months during the summer (June-August), but can be year-round if the student wishes to extend it.
Cost/Stipend: No application cost. Information about a stipend is not specified.
Building-U is an entirely remote non-profit organization that works to assist high-school students. The non-profit offers 3-month to year-round virtual internships in administrative and business roles. As an intern, you will be assigned a range of duties. Once selected, you will be part of one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and other profiles, more details of which you can read about here. Each role offers a range of experiences and responsibilities and will give you the chance to contribute towards the organization’s larger goals.
Beyond specific team project skills, you will also get to build essential teamwork and communication skills. You will be invited to join in on other team meetings to contribute ideas to other projects - building knowledge integration skills as well! If you’re interested in photography, you can choose to work in the social media content and analytics department, where you’ll create digital content for social media platforms — Instagram, FB, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok as well as integrate with R&D, Marketing, and Business and Development Teams.
9. The National Geographic Student Expeditions and Photography Workshops
Location: Varies depending on the opportunity. You can check the available locations here.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students from grades 9-12.
Application Deadline: The applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will accept applications until a program is full.
Dates: Varies based on the location, typically 1-4 weeks between June and July.
Cost: There is an application fee of $200. The tuition varies based on the program category and location. For Photography Workshops: $ 6,490 to $ 8,590 (airfare not included).
The Nat Geo Student Expeditions Photography program is designed to enhance students’ photography and video skills in a structured setting. Seasoned photographers and National Geographic Explorers lead the program and offer a unique blend of classroom learning and hands-on experience. Students focusing on Photography participate in daily photography tutorials, interactive critique sessions, and practical field assignments.
Photo workshops are an opportunity for students to become better photographers, editors, and storytellers. From a campus base in an iconic location, you’ll have the opportunity, both inside and outside of the classroom, to work with your camera and editing software. A National Geographic Explorer and photographer joins the group for the entire duration of the workshop, helping students master their cameras, create engaging images, and become better editors of their work. Each day, you’ll learn important skills and lessons in the classroom and apply them in some of the world’s most photogenic places. You will organize, curate, and install a pop-up gallery show featuring their original images, an event to which friends and family are invited.
10. NSLC - High School Summer Digital Arts Program
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY.
Eligibility: Students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have completed at least one year of high school (students may attend NSLC through the summer following high school graduation).
Application Deadline: NSLC will continue to accept applications if space is available in a program or on a program’s waitlist. The online enrollment application will display all current availability.
Dates: June 17 - 25, 2024 | June 29, 2024 - July 7, 2024
Cost: $4,095 (Residential Program)
At NSLC: Digital Arts & Design, you’ll develop your unique style through immersive workshops that expand your creativity. You’ll learn how Digital Arts can be used to promote brands and products; design principles; and experiment with the composition, arrangement, and sequence of still photographs to create a captivating story.
You’ll get to choose a specialty among Photography, Animation, or Graphic Design and work closely with professionals in the field to explore how your love of art can become a full-time career. If you choose the Photography track, you’ll get to explore essential photography techniques to make the most of your camera and hone your skills by capturing images of plants, animals, city sights, individuals, and chance encounters. You’ll also get to build your portfolio and have the opportunity to publish your images! Trips and tours may include Pratt Institute, Fotografiska Museum NYC, International Center of Photography, and City Photo Tour.
11. SOCAPA Summer Photography Camps for High School Students & Teens
Location: New York City; Los Angeles, CA; and Vermont.
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18 years.
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all the spaces in a camp are filled.
Dates: 2-3 weeks between June and August.
Cost: Varies depending on the location, ranging between $2195 - $3745.
SOCAPA offers two and three-week summer camps in digital and/or traditional darkroom photography with a strong emphasis on aesthetics and portfolio development. All the camps teach and rely upon Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop as artistic tools, and all offer a healthy balance of classes/exercises in documentary (street), commercial (portrait and studio lighting), and fine art photography. All photo students learn web publishing and create an online portfolio of their work. In addition, students in the three-week intensives leave with a professionally bound portfolio of 8x10 prints, perfect for college admissions, and job interviews.
You can choose between Core Photography and Advanced Photo intensives. SOCAPA's Core Photography Intensive will both introduce concepts to beginner students and challenge students with previous knowledge of photography cameras and development and the Advanced Photography Intensive is for their return photography students and students who have extensive experience with digital photography. A strong emphasis is placed on portfolio development, and each student will be encouraged to create a body of work that showcases his or her own unique, creative vision through thematic and stylistic choices.
12. Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) Digital Photography and Photoshop Course
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology main campus, New York City, NY.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students enrolled in grades 9-12 (Precollege enrollment is based on a first-come, first-served basis).
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all the spaces in a camp are filled.
Dates: July 8 - 23, 2024
Cost: $540
The Digital Photography and Photoshop Course by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) offers high school students enrolled in grades 9-12 an opportunity to learn studio and natural lighting, advanced camera techniques, and image sequencing. You will also cover the basics of Adobe Photoshop, including image processing, photo retouching, and collage. This course runs from Monday to Thursday between 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM.
You must be comfortable with the digital camera and manual settings to join this class. You must bring your own Digital SLR camera (Single Lens Reflex) or Mirrorless Camera while attending the course. If you are purchasing new equipment for the course, it is recommended to purchase the accidental damage coverage offered by the retailer.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.