—          currently:  Rio Grande City, TX          —          cheneyorr@gmail.com          —          917.374.1413          —

Cheney Orr is a visual journalist currently based in Columbus, Georgia. Cheney deeply believes that visual storytelling can lead to a better understanding of oneself and one another.

Born in Arizona and raised in New York City, Cheney spent his 20s primarily as a construction worker and production assistant. His first long-term photo essay documenting his dad’s journey with early-onset Alzheimer's was published by The New York Times Lens Blog in 2018.  The response to this publication opened his eyes to photography's potential to spread awareness and help people feel less alone. It became Cheney’s deepest ambition to continue to create photographs that foster connection.

Later that year he was awarded the Mary Ellen Mark Memorial Scholarship to attend the one-year certificate program at the International Center of Photography as a 2019 graduate. At the end of 2019, Cheney departed from his hometown of Brooklyn and fully dedicated himself to pursuing a career in photojournalism in the broader United States. He was based in Tucson, Arizona, and Bloomington, Indiana, before moving to Georgia.

Cheney has reported from throughout the U.S. and is a regular contributor to Reuters News. His other editorial clients include Agence France-Presse,  Bloomberg News,  The New York Times,  ProPublica,  The Wall Street Journal,  and The Washington Post. His work has received grants and awards, including a 2021 Pulitzer Prize nomination with the Reuters team covering climate change, and a 2021 Hillman Foundation fellowship for Picturing Care, a participatory media project he founded focused on family caregiving.

Cheney’s 2022 work from Ukraine, published as a limited-edition artist book, has been collected by leading institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University and Harvard University.

Cheney has been commissioned to document devastating natural disasters, consequences of mass violence, child labor in the American South, civil unrest, political campaigns, and more – all while meeting strict deadlines. He has completed Hostile Environment training through Dart Center (2023) and Thomson Reuters (2022) and Wildland Fire training through Arizona Wildfire Academy (2021). He is an FAA Part 107-certified and insured drone pilot.

Cheney’s personal work is often focused on explorations of memory, family, and community. For those projects, he enjoys shooting on film, printing in the darkroom, and producing artist zines and books.

Cheney carries with him an unrelenting work ethic and a commitment to report with honesty, integrity, and an open heart.

Instagram Portfolio: @orr_photo