Karen Ducey is a documentary photographer dedicated to covering social, environmental, animal welfare and political issues. Currently she is a staff photojournalist at The Seattle Times.
With over 20 years professional experience working both on staff and independently she has produced a wide array of assignments from breaking news to portraits to longform, investigative stories for print and online clients. She excels at meeting urgent deadlines, enterprising ideas, and seeking creative solutions to every assignment.
Her heart is in her work and she believes in the power of photography to strengthen her community. She loves working with news organizations, non-profits, and small businesses who share this mission.
Her work for Getty Images and Reuters appeared regularly in major publications worldwide. Other publications included the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and National Geographic. For almost a decade she also worked on staff at major news publications including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Puget Sound Business Journal and The Indianapolis Star.
Recent certificates include an Ocean + Climate in Alaska workshop taught by the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources (IJNR) in 2022, FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate (drone) in 2021, Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEFAT) certificate through the International Women's Media Foundation (IMWF) in 2020.
Ducey served as President of the board of the Blue Earth Alliance supporting documentary photographers and filmmakers worldwide from 2016-2018. She also served as Secretary on the board of the Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington chapter from 2016-2019. She mentors aspiring photojournalists through the National Press Photographers Association.
Her photography, writing and multimedia work has been honored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) community service photojournalism award, DART Coverage of Trauma, Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism on Children & Families, Best of the West, National Press Photographer’s Association-Best of Photojournalism, Society of Professional Journalists, Society for News Design, and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
In 2011 she received a fellowship from the Knight Digital Media Center, News Entrepreneur Bootcamp at the University of Southern California. There she developed marketing, business and editorial practices for AnimalsNorthwest.com, an online publication she founded dedicated to reporting animal news and issues (wildlife, agricultural and domesticated) in the Pacific Northwest.
That year Ducey also directed a documentary short film, "When the Lights Go Out" screened at the Seattle International Film Festival.
For almost a decade she worked as deckhand aboard commercial fishing boats in Alaska. Duties included at sea navigation and manual labor on deck for salmon, crab, black cod and halibut in Bristol Bay, the Bering Sea, Kodiak, Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska.