Intern, Photographer

Thank you for your interest in the BWL. We think you'll find it a rewarding and nurturing place to grow your career.

Starting Salary Range: $23.00 - $23.00

Thank you for your interest in the BWL. We think you'll find it a rewarding and nurturing place to grow your career.

The Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) has an opening for a Photographer Intern, as part of our Public Relations & Marketing team, located in Lansing, MI.

Job Type: Full-Time Summer Internship
Dates: May 17, 2027 - August 13, 2027
Pay Rate: $23.00 per hour.

Position Summary:

The Photography Intern will gain hands-on experience in professional photography, digital asset management, archival preservation, and visual communications while working with the Public Relations & Marketing Department. The Photography Intern will work under the direction of a designated mentor within the Public Relations & Marketing Department.

This internship provides an opportunity to build a professional portfolio while developing practical experience in both contemporary photography and the preservation and management of historical visual collections.

The intern will photograph BWL events and activities, including Adopt-A-River, the Hometown Power 5K, Employee Picnic, State of the BWL, and other events assigned. Responsibilities will also include creating professional headshots for members of the leadership team and designated employees, as well as producing staged and on-location photography to help maintain and expand BWL's corporate stock photography library.

During periods when photography assignments are not scheduled, the intern will assist with the digitization and organization of BWL's historical photographic collection. This work will include scanning historic photographs, uploading digital files to the organization's collections database, researching available information about photographs, and adding accurate descriptive metadata and tags. These efforts will help preserve BWL's visual history and make photographs more accessible for internal communications, marketing, community outreach, and potential museum exhibitions.

The intern will gain practical experience in photography, archival digitization, digital asset management, historical research, metadata creation, and visual storytelling while developing an understanding of how photography supports organizational communications and community engagement.

Essential Functions

• Photograph BWL events, programs, employees, facilities, and community activities as assigned.
• Capture professional headshots and other employees and leadership photography in accordance with established organizational standards.
• Produce staged and on-location photographs for BWL's corporate stock photography library.
• Follow established photography, file-management, and digital-asset procedures to ensure images are properly captured, organized, stored, and accessible.
• Digitize historic photographs by scanning and creating high-quality digital files in accordance with established archival procedures.
• Upload digitized photographs to BWL's collections database and apply appropriate metadata, keywords, tags, and descriptive information.
• Conduct research, when possible, to identify people, locations, dates, events, and other relevant information associated with historical photographs.
• Organize and document photographic materials so BWL staff can effectively use the collection for marketing, communications, community outreach, historical research, and museum exhibitions.
• Assist with the development of an accessible historical photograph collection that may support future community-outreach initiatives and provide members of the Greater Lansing community with opportunities to identify family members, friends, former coworkers, and other individuals represented in BWL's historical photographs.
• Maintain appropriate file-naming conventions, organizational structures, and documentation for photographic and archival materials.
• Protect confidential, sensitive, and historically significant materials in accordance with BWL policies and established procedures.
• Follow the BWL Safety Manual and use required personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing fieldwork or other duties requiring protective equipment.
• Attend required training, safety-awareness programs, and skills-development sessions, including those required by BWL or applicable governmental agencies such as MIOSHA.
• Comply with all BWL policies, procedures, work rules, and professional standards.
• Maintain predictable and reliable attendance.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Job Specifications:

• Must be currently enrolled in an accredited educational institution with a focus of Fine Arts, Public Relations, or other related majors with a junior or senior status during the summer of 2027.

• Must be enrolled in fall classes 2027.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0.

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to remain in a stationary position for the majority of the working day. The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office environment, including the use of stairs. Constantly operates a computer and other office equipment. Ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen. Must frequently communicate with other departments and employees both verbally and in writing. May need to lift and carry up to 30 pounds and/or position the body to reach items on the floor/below knee level or reach overhead. The person in this position needs to move about in industrial environments and on uneven terrain occasionally. May be required to recognize small numbers, letters, symbols, color on prints, and operate field instruments/equipment.

Works in a temperature-controlled office environment, with occasional work in outdoor weather conditions and industrial environments.

Must successfully complete a background check, a substance screening and a physical (if applicable).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills that may be required of the employee. Management reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise alter these duties, responsibilities, and skills at any time.

About BWL:
The Board of Water & Light serves Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas with electricity, water, and steam. Lansing's city charter vests the BWL with full and exclusive management of water, steam, and electric services for or the city. The American Public Power Association has honored the Lansing Board of Water & Light as one of the country's best publicly-owned utilities.

The Location:
Lansing lies at the heart of the Great Lakes State and offers all the beauty and splendor of the four seasons. A haven for swimming, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, golf, and hunting, mid-Michigan is also just a couple hours from premier skiing and one of the most beautiful freshwater lakeshores in the world on our Lake Michigan Coast. Lansing itself is only minutes and miles away from two of the nation’s premier universities, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, and boasts miles of walking, running, biking trails, Potter Park Zoo, professional sports, the arts, and fine dining.

THE BOARD OF WATER & LIGHT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER