The DUKE OWENS Story

Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It began with an Exakta 35mm camera my father placed in my hands and countless hours in a basement darkroom, where I learned to develop film and make prints. Those early experiences taught me that photography is as much about seeing as it is about making an image.

Life eventually led me down a different path—raising three daughters, building and selling a publishing company, and pursuing adventures that took me skiing, scuba diving, and motorcycling through all 50 states. Photography waited patiently in the background.

After reconnecting with my college sweetheart and moving to New Hampshire, I picked up a camera again, and it felt like coming home. Since then, travel has inspired much of my work, from the wildlife of South Africa and Botswana to the Galápagos Islands and the timeless streets of Europe’s historic cities.

Today, my camera is my way of slowing down and looking more deeply. I’m drawn to wildlife, landscapes, street scenes, and the quiet beauty that often goes unnoticed. Lately, my work has become increasingly abstract through intentional camera movement and a technique I call MEMS Photography (Multiple Exposure Micro Shift), an exploration of motion, light, and memory. 

I’m also making my way through all 234 towns and cities of New Hampshire, discovering that extraordinary photographs are often found in ordinary places.