NESOP was founded in 1968 by
Academy-Award nominated cinematographer John H. Carruthers to fill the need for professional photographic training in the Boston area. The school was originally located at 739 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. The first students began class in September 1969 and graduated in May 1971. In August 1972, NESOP was moved to 537 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore Square, Boston, Massachusetts and grew to occupy approximately , including space at 650 Beacon Street, Kenmore Square, Boston, Massachusetts. NESOP started with a general photographic curriculum in 1968, and eventually expanded to offer eight Majors in commercial and artistic areas as well as ten Minor areas of study. In August 1991, William R. Carruthers became President of NESOP, and in December 2006 he assumed ownership due to the death of his father and founder of the school, John H. Carruthers. In 2017, NESOP was forced to move from Kenmore Square when the building it occupied was closed for demolition by its owner,
Boston University. The school relocated to 274 Moody Street in downtown
Waltham, Massachusetts. After two years of operation at that location, NESOP closed permanently around March 2020. ==Notable alumni==