Will Michels, born in Houston, TX, graduated in 1991 from Pratt Institute, with a degree in architecture. After graduating he became the project architect in charge of restoring the Battleship TEXAS, a World War I era Dreadnaught. At the same time, he consciously began to explore fine art photography. His focus over the last 15 years has covered a variety of subjects all centering around portraiture: a series of introspective self portraits, a collection of over 200 environmental portraits of USS TEXAS veterans, and a series documenting living history, specifically a reenactment of the battle of Iwo Jima.

Michels has been exhibited widely at Watermark Fine Art, Houston, Texas; The Galveston Arts Center; The Houston Center for Photography; The College of the Main Land; The Houston Center for Photography; and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He has received generous grants from the Cultural Arts Council of Houston, the Summerlee Foundation, Houston Endowment Inc., and Artadia.

Michels currently lives in Houston, Texas and works at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where he teaches young aspiring photographers.