Mark Graves | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Mark Graves is a photographer and data visualization specialist for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Over nearly two decades in the newsroom, he has handled everything from laying out stock market listings for the print edition to tapping immense databases to make interactive graphics. In 2015, Graves narrowed his focus on graphics and photography and soon started winning regional and national awards. Among his notable projects, he documented the 2016 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation in Burns, Oregon, and he produced photos, data analysis, and graphics for "Draining Oregon," a series that showed how water rights officials helped farmers exploit the state's depleting aquifers to grow cash crops in the desert. Graves has photographed the state's most devastating wildland fires in recent history, a variety of other natural disasters, crimes, countless protests, riots and local cultural events, including the finest hamburgers and cat shows. Graves was raised around news. His earliest memories include tagging along with his father, a reporter for The News and Observer in Raleigh, N.C., to interview tornado survivors. Graves has lived in the Pacific Northwest most of his life, and his family has resided here for generations. He obtained a B.A. from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, in 2004. In his spare time, you may find him on the coast digging razor clams as his grandfather did before him. He resides in Southeast Portland with his biggest fan, Viggo, his German shepherd.