Michael Martin White – Fine Art Photographer
I’m a photographer based in Noblesville, Indiana, focused on historical processes and experimental techniques. My interest in photography began in the late 1980s when I discovered the darkroom as a teenager at North Central High School in Indianapolis. I took classes at the J. Everett Light Career Center and started using my parents’ brand-new Minolta X-700. They had bought it for themselves but rarely used it. Once I began developing my own black-and-white film, I was hooked. That experience sparked a lifelong fascination with light, chemistry, and the hands-on side of analog photography.
Since then, I’ve continued learning through constant experimentation and a deep interest in photographic history. I’ve explored many methods, including Wet Plate Collodion, infrared imaging, pinhole photography, long exposure, time-lapse, scanography, drone photography, and astrography. I enjoy modifying vintage cameras and lenses, combining old techniques with modern tools to create images that feel both timeless and new.
One of my favorite projects involves using my great-grandfather’s 123-year-old Kodak lens on a modern 4×5 field camera. By merging past and present, I try to create photographs that are more than simple records. They are explorations of how we see and experience the world. I see unpredictability and imperfection as essential parts of the creative process.
Alongside my own work, I enjoy sharing these approaches with others. I teach photography classes at the Hamilton County Artists’ Association (HCAA), where I encourage students to move beyond conventional methods and take creative risks. I also developed, funded, and continue to maintain the public darkroom at the HCAA’s Birdie Gallery. This space keeps analog resources accessible and inspires new photographers to explore hands-on processes.
My work has been shown in exhibitions throughout central Indiana, including juried group shows and solo exhibitions such as History in Focus at Noblesville Creates. Whether I’m photographing historic architecture or abstract landscapes, my goal is to invite viewers to slow down, question what they see, and find beauty in the unexpected.