Top Photography camps for 2026/2027

Photography camps near you

Photography summer camps offer learning and creative expression for teens and kids who love to take pictures and want to improve their skills. Use OurKids.net's advanced search to discover camps in the following cities or regions:

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More than just summer camp

For those teens who really want to develop their interest in photography, there are many different ways to explore their passion. Discover other options from Our Kids, below.

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What are the benefits of photography camp?

Develop a creative outlet. Through camp, your child will begin to develop their own artistic photography style. It's an avenue for self-expression, and can be therapeutic. Establishing a creative outlet in childhood can be fundamental to mental health. Artistic expression can help process emotions and get them through difficult times, as well as celebrating and documenting success.

Photography is an in-demand skill. We live in an image-based society. In an age of Instagram influencers and digital marketing, knowing how to take professional photos is an invaluable technical skill. It can also be the basis for potential career paths. Your child can experiment with photo angles, editing software, or curating a compelling Instagram feed. They get a head start in possible professions like photojournalism, visual merchandising, and freelancing.

Hands-on, project-based learning. Photography camp allows your child to learn a new skill outside of the classroom, and away from those dense, word-heavy textbooks. Kids learn through experience, and experiment with the new skills and knowledge they're taught, camera in hand. In addition to photography basics, most camps provide a project that your child will complete throughout their time at camp. They'll carry out a project from ideation through to execution, and have something to show off at the end of the camp.

Start a portfolio. As your child learns the fundamentals of photography at camp, they'll build a collection of high-quality shots. These can develop into a personal portfolio. A portfolio allows your child to look back, admire and appreciate their progress inthe skill of photography. It boosts confidence and self-esteem. It's also a showcase for friends, family, future art teachers, and future freelance clients!

Experience the world. Photography, by its very nature, encourages kids to get out and experience the world. It stimulates movement. It can be a reason to witness spectacular phenomena or to admire the small, everyday things in life. Photography can instill in your child a new appreciation for the world around them.

Preserve memories. Learning how to take great photographs is a way of preserving the most cherished moments in one’s life. They will understand for themselves the true meaning behind the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words."

What will your child learn at photography camp?

How to use a camera. We all know how to take a simple photo with our smartphones. At photography camp, kids learn how to use a camera at a more advanced level than a simple point-and-shoot. Many photography camps offer the use of DSLR cameras, for example, where kids learn manual controls such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO speed settings.

The basics of photography. At photography camp, your child will learn how to take the perfect photo. There are many fundamental photography concepts that go into professional photography. Starting from the basics and progressing to more advanced skills, kids learn about composition, the rule of thirds, portraits and landscapes, closeups, product shots, and troubleshooting a “bad” photo.

How to develop photos. Aside from the skill of taking photos, a core component to photography is developing them, and with this comes computer skills. Photography camp will teach your child how to transfer photos from the camera to a computer, and how to operate software to batch and edit photos. They'll then learn proper methods for exporting their selected photos for the web or for print on good-quality photo paper.

Photo editing. Photo editing can bring out a photo’s natural beauty, as well as giving more complexity to the piece by adding creative depth. It's another avenue for your child’s creative expression to flow, and is a major component to photography skills. Campers also learn the basics of photo editing like exposure, brightness, cropping, and contrast. Finally, they also learn the basics of colour theory like the difference between vibrancy, hue and saturation. Many photography camps give kids the opportunity to work with well-known photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

How to curate your work. With today’s digital cameras, photographers can take dozens of photos at once, and must sort through them to find the best shot. At photography camp, kids will learn how to select stunning photos from a stack, to achieve a certain goal or follow a creative direction. Examples include telling a story through photos, or selecting your best shots for a personal portfolio in order to convey an aspect of your personality or build a personal artistic brand. Kids will begin to develop their own artistic voice, and practice the editorial process of curation.

You might also like these camps and programs

Photography camps are only one way kids can explore artistic skills through options on OurKids.net. We list over 200 different activities, so there are many different kinds of camps and programs to consider. Here are other creative-minded camps: 

Photography class for kids   gives kids and teens an after-school activity in which they can indulge in and learn more about this hobby.

Film and video camp gives budding directors a week-long (or longer) immersion in film and video production.

Visual arts camp explores this field from different angles, introducing teens and kids to software, technology, and techniques to build an artistic repertoire. 

Our arts camp list includes camps offering various programming, ranging from modeling camps to music camp and dance camp.

Combine this with more advice from OurKids.net

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Photography camps are there?
There are 21 programs offering photography as an activity. Use the filters to narrow by age and program type, then click on matched programs to see daily activities, dates, rates and registration information.

What are the fees to attend Photography camps?
Fees for programs offering photography as an activity range from FREE to $13,883 per program (program types and lengths vary). Use the filters here to narrow programs by age and type.

Where can parents meet with Photography camps?
Meet with program directors and staff at the Our Kids Camp & Program Expo. The Expo is held annually in February, and is a fun and informative day for parents, kids, and teens. Find event details and free tickets here.