Joel Whitaker (born 1961) is an American photographer based in Dayton, Ohio. As both an artist and educator, he creates work to explore the process of making and to engage with various methodologies of artistic creation. His primary subjects are common, everyday objects, as he avoids dramatic or exotic subjects. Whitaker received his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Florida State University and has sustained a career in arts administration, visual arts higher education, and the production of his photographic work.