Cheney Orr was born in Arizona and raised in New York City. His first long-term photo essay documenting his father’s journey with early-onset Alzheimer's was published by The New York Times Lens Blog in 2018. Cheney's photographs and reporting have also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg News, VICE, among others.

Cheney is the founder of Picturing Care, a newly launched participatory media project focused on family caregiving.

As of Fall 2021, Cheney is based out of the midwest in Bloomington, Indiana.