CIEE HS Summer Abroad: Photography & Culture in Auckland

Turn your passion into real-world digital photography skills this summer and learn to craft powerful images that tell stories, whether you're using a DSLR or your phone. In hands-on classes taught by professional photographers and local artists, you'll master composition, lighting, and editing—alongside new friends who share your creative drive.

Classroom sessions lead into daily workshops and photo challenges across Auckland’s black sand beaches and volcanic peaks. One day, focus on street portraits at Viaduct Harbour with you and your fellow Global Navigators taking turns as models. The next day, you’re chasing golden-hour light along the coast for wildlife shots. You’ll curate your best work for a final gallery show and present an artist’s statement that reflects your growth and creative process.

Auckland is photogenic, to say the least, and so much more. On excursions beyond the city, capture the steaming geysers and bubbling mud pools of Rotorua and the towering waterfalls and crystal-clear lake views around Taupō. You’ll return home with a stand-out portfolio you can use for college applications—and a new understanding of your unique style as a visual storyteller.