Sections for G4–G8 and G9–G12; 35 weeks.
Two-week summer session
No experience needed; phone, tablet, or camera. Each student finishes a 3 to 5 image portfolio; strong work can be refined for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
How workshops run
Workshops enroll in rolling short terms: one seat lets a child rotate through 3 to 4 domains in a year, 7 to 8 weeks each, with a finished piece every session.
Want to talk to a course advisor now?
Contact a course advisorFrequently Asked Questions
Do Irvine families need to buy a camera?
No. The two-week summer session accepts a phone, a tablet or a digital camera. What the course trains is observing the world through a lens and expressing an idea with it, so the equipment only has to produce usable images reliably.
Can a beginner join?
Yes. The two-week summer session requires no prior experience. Class starts with observation and framing, then moves into themed work. The Irvine small-group sessions alternate shooting and critique and run online at the same time, so a student starting from zero can keep pace.
What do Irvine students finish with?
In the summer session, a small portfolio of 3 to 5 images. It is meant to hold together as one coherent set rather than a handful of unrelated exercises, and it can be kept as a long-term record of a student's work in the arts.
Can Irvine students enter contests?
Yes. Strong work can be refined and then submitted to youth art competitions such as the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Entering remains the student's own choice, and the revision stage before submission is best worked through together with the teacher.
Photography Lab or Photography & Film 101?
It depends on the end product. Youth Photography Lab produces photographs and treats photography as an art form in its own right. Photography & Film 101 extends from stills into camera movement, lighting, sound and editing, and ends with a finished short film.
