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PHOTOGRAPHY

photography

visualize a new way of creating

The photography studio helps students discover ways to bring an artistic perspective to images. They learn how to use professional-level cameras and gain experience with design, composition, and lighting techniques. Students complete digital edits using Adobe Creative Suite and can also develop their work in a traditional darkroom.

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teaching artist | matthew provoast

Matthew Provoast (he/him) joined WMCAT in 2025 as a photography teaching artist. For over 15 years, he has worked as a photographer and educator, teaching at Grand Rapids Community College and now guiding WMCAT students in exploring new ideas, tools, and ways of creating. His work blends photography with collage and layered materials to explore memory and history. As the founder of Light Gallery + Studio in downtown Grand Rapids, Matthew has spent many years creating spaces for emerging artists to connect and grow. Check out Matthew’s work!

2025 fall + 2026 Spring offerings

FALL | MONDAY + WEDNESDAY

Photography

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students  

Release your inner photographer and discover ways to bring artistic perspective to your images. Learn how to use professional-level cameras and discover design, composition, lighting, and other techniques to make your photos truly stand out! Use Adobe Creative Suite for digital editing and experience the magic of the traditional photo darkroom. Explore interesting places and capture Grand Rapids with your lens.

FALL | TUESDAY + THURSDAY

Photography

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students  

Release your inner photographer and discover ways to bring artistic perspective to your images. Learn how to use professional-level cameras and discover design, composition, lighting, and other techniques to make your photos truly stand out! Use Adobe Creative Suite for digital editing and experience the magic of the traditional photo darkroom. Explore interesting places and capture Grand Rapids with your lens.

SPRING | MONDAY + WEDNESDAY

Digital Photography

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students  

Shoot, edit, and bring your creative ideas to life in a studio built for experimentation. You’ll learn how to use DSLR cameras, lighting setups, and Adobe editing software to turn everyday scenes into striking images that tell a story. We’ll explore how light, motion, and color shape mood by freezing action to playing with long exposures or neon lights. You’ll also get hands-on with professional editing tools to create your own style, print your favorite images, and curate a final showcase that shows off your vision as a photographer.

SPRING | TUESDAY + THURSDAY

Analog Photography

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students  

Go old-school and make photos by hand! No filters, no screens, just light, chemistry, and creativity. In this darkroom-based studio, you’ll shoot with a film camera, experiment with cyanotypes, and develop your own prints using traditional photography techniques. You’ll learn how to expose, develop, and print your images from start to finish, discovering the magic of watching a photo appear in the developer tray. It’s messy, hands-on, and perfect for anyone who loves process, experimentation, and turning ideas into something real. If you’ve already taken a WMCAT photo class or know your way around a camera, this studio is your next step. You’ll build on what you know and get hands-on in the darkroom. 

teen arts + tech enrollment

Studios are first come first served! Students are placed in studios on a rolling basis.
We recommend turning in your materials ASAP to secure a spot!  

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