Photographer Don Lown is a retired science teacher who has many interests including nature photography, bird watching, woodworking, stone sculpture, reading, travel, and helping others.

As a young man he set his personal goal as "versatility" and has enjoyed life in the varied pursuits that such a goal invites. He spends many hours in volunteer activities at the U of 0 Museum of Natural and Cultural History, UO Paleontology lab, The Science Factory, Nearby Nature, tutoring at LCC and several other service activities particularly oriented toward young people. He serves as program chairperson for Emerald Empire Kiwanis Club and education chairperson for Emerald Photographic Society in Eugene/ Springfield.

His first camera was a Kodak Baby Brownie that was a gift for his 10th birthday. Since then he has taken tens of thousands of pictures with several different cameras. Today his primary camera is a Nikon D300 digital model and he also uses a Canon G11.

Don makes his own weathered wood frames, mats and frames his photos. The frames are just some of the many projects that flow from his workshop.

In 2006 he was awarded Photographer of the Year as a member of Emerald Photographic Society. His photographs have been exhibited in several locations, in juried shows and received multiple awards.