Michelle Briggs is an American contemporary fine art photographer who bridges the gap between the classical Western landscape and the constructed reality of the Anthropocene. Drawing on a rigorous academic foundation in Politics, Philosophy, and Law, Briggs approaches the photographic medium not merely as a method of documentation, but as a tool for ontological inquiry.

While her formal language references the dramatic chiaroscuro of Edward Weston and the conservationist ethic of Ansel Adams, her technique is distinctly contemporary. Briggs utilizes light painting—a process of physically sculpting light during long exposures—to intervene in the landscape. This method transforms industrial remnants and natural spaces into "neutral stage sets," where the passage of time is suspended and scrutinized.

Currently completing her B.A. in Digital Photography (2026), Briggs explores existential themes and the human imprint on the American West. Her large-format composites convey a tension between the enduring geological timeline and the fleeting presence of human industry, inviting viewers to question the "truth" of the photographic image.