Nick Owen: Biography

Nick Owen was born in 1950 in Bromsgrove, a small Midlands town, south of Birmingham. His father owned and managed shops in the High Street and was wealthy enough to have him educated privately; but his family was from the lower middle class. There were no books in the house; though they had cameras, and even a cine camera. There were also photo albums, and vast Victorian portraits of his grandparents, and of his father as Town Mayor.

Nick’s talent for writing was recognised early on, when, at the age of seven, one of his essays was sent home to his parents, judged “exceptional”. At Malvern College, his poetry was printed in the Malvernian magazine. He adored art history and was judged “the most creative historian” his teacher had taught in his ten years at the school. He won the “A” Level English Literature Prize. He was also a fine athlete and rugby player.

Nick studied Psychology and Philosophy at Keele University, where he also completed “The Foundation Year”, an academic tour of western civilisation, which he loved. Overall, Nick gained an upper second class degree with honours, but he scored first class marks in his final year specialization, the philosophy of mind.

Although Nick qualified and worked as a teacher, his aim was always towards working as a counsellor and psychotherapist. At thirty, he became one of the first graduates of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Counselling in Westminster. Nick also became a leading figure in the British Human Potential Development movement.

After ten years working for Social Services Departments, The National Health Service, and in private practice, Nick became a director of The Oxford School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, at the age of forty. He worked there for ten years, writing, teaching, supervising and practising psychotherapy. He was also a consultant to the BBC on psychological matters. Nick has taught humanistic psychology, groupwork, counselling and psychotherapy for many Colleges and Universities, both nationally and internationally.

At the age of fifty, Nick gave up teaching and psychotherapy practice, separated from his partner and went through a serious depression. There were several major family bereavements at this time.

Nick decided to refocus his life on creative writing and photography. He wrote plays and poetry, and concentrated on photographing West Oxfordshire, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Nick set up “The Oxford Prenatal and Perinatal Education Research and Awareness Trust”, to help people prepare for parenting, and to help remedy problems associated with birth trauma. He taught in this area both Nationally and Internationally, contributing to a number of major Multi-professional Congresses. He was also involved in the creation of Wombtwin.com, for people who lost a twin before or at the time of their birth.

When five of Nick’s images reached the number one spot on the “Flickr” website’s “Explore” feature, which ranks 500 images a day in terms of “Interestingness,” he decided to sell some of his work. He created art installations, putting together his poetry and pictures. These have been shown in schools, colleges and at arts festivals all over the Cotswolds. He also creates “poetic landscape” greeting cards. His work has appeared in Art Magazines, on websites, and even on Stagecoach buses.

Over the last six years Nick has extended his photography work. At first, he added nudes to his landscapes in ‘Naked in Nature’ series. Then he began to do studio work.
Nick has now decided to use his people skills creatively once again, in shooting weddings, and other life transitions.

Nick finds wedding photography particularly satisfying. He considers it a great honour and privilege to help make one of the most important days in a couple’s life especially memorable.

Nick has begun to use poetry and pictures creatively with organisations like Mind, the mental health charity. He focuses his work on helping people through major life changes, using words and images in albums, portraits or photo story books.

Nick is married with two exceptionally gifted daughters, 28 and 19, and two fine step-sons, 18 and 13. He lives in Witney, in Oxfordshire.