The stunning images by Irene Owsley of our own Potomac landscape, as well as her dramatic views of the far north, inspired us to select Irene Owsley as the October “nature” speaker.

A freelance photographer, Irene specializes in the outdoors and travel, particularly in northern regions. Her work has appeared in such magazines as Canoe & Kayak, Sierra, National Parks, Earthwatch, and Natural History, as well as in the publications of several conservation organizations. For the last three summers, she has been accepted as an “artist in residence” with a program called “Voices of the Wilderness,” working with wilderness rangers while camping and kayaking in remote glacial fjords. Selected images from these residencies will be shown in a traveling exhibition in 2014 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

Irene is active in the professional photography community. She serves as Treasurer on the national board of ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) and is a founding board member of FotoWeek DC, which will celebrate its sixth festival this November. Currently, Irene is shooting the wild areas of metropolitan Washington, DC, particularly along the Potomac River, and producing large panoramic prints for corporate and residential interiors. She has exhibited her work throughout metro Washington, DC and has been profiled in Rangefinder, Photographer’s Forum, and Nikon World magazine.