John Rudiak received a BS in Chemistry in 1973 and an MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1977, studying with Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind.

He then became a faculty member in the Photo Department at RISD where he taught all levels of photography until moving to Taos, NM in 1990. While in Rhode Island he worked as a photochemist for Sprint Systems of Photography developing original formulas and procedures for contemporary and antique photo processes, as well as writing technical literature. He formed Alchemy Printmaking in 1988, producing portfolios for other photographic artists in alternative printmaking media such as platinum and albumen.

In 1993 he was named contributing technical editor and writer for View Camera Magazine, which published two of his articles on platinum printing in 1994. Recent projects produced by Alchemy include the Jazz Portfolio, ten photographs of jazz musicians taken in the 60's and 70's by San Francisco photographer Jim Marshall, and a Landscape Portfolio by photographer Douglas Busch. John worked on two major platinum portfolios for Baron Wolman and Terry Heffernan, and taught antique processes at the University of New Mexico. John also wrote a chapter (Enlarged Negatives) for the textbook "Coming Into Focus".
John died in a motorcycle accident in Taos, New Mexico in 2000.