Rudy Owens, taken in Portland’s Sellwood Park, May 2020

I have been taking pictures, telling stories, and gathering tales for nearly four decades. Always it seems, wherever I have gone, there I was. My trails have passed through six continents and more than 30 countries. For six of those years I lived in Alaska, working for the Canadian Consulate of Anchorage, and relishing the light of the Great Land. My photographs have been published in numerous media outlets and publishing houses, and I have had shows in Portland, Seattle, and Anchorage. My photography web site, www.rudyfoto.com, features numerous photo essays on topics ranging from human rights to life in contemporary Greenland.

As a photographer, I am deeply indebted to many fine artists, including the great documentary photographers of the Farm Security Administration who told the story of the Depression and recovery, Sebastião Salgado, and Bernd and Hilla Becher. 

When not behind a lens, I have pursued a career in communications, government and public affairs, and public health. I have a professional background in journalism (MA from UNC-CH), public affairs (more than 10 years working at the state and international level), and public health (MPH from the University of Washington). Most of my latest writing can be found on the website for my new public health memoir on the U.S. adoption experience, called You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are: An Adoptee’s Journey through the American Adoption Experience. My book was released in May 2018 and is on sale in paperback and ebook.

When I am not working, writing, or taking pictures, you can find me running on Portland’s great trails, biking Oregon’s beautiful roads, or surfing on Oregon’s coast–likely at Seaside. You can contact me via my web site contact page. I can also be followed through my Twitter account. I look forward to hearing from you.

Last updated Nov. 29, 2018