YEAR TWO OF THE PANDEMIC.
Let’s call it The Year of the Needle.
And all the hope, and contention, that came with it.
Besides injections, this year the pandemic brought overrun ICUs, long-awaited reunions and miraculous recoveries.
Seattle Times photographers also covered protests and politics, homelessness, a record heat wave, floods, snowstorms and one of the more unusual sports years in memory. Leavening all of that, fortunately, were exceptional moments of everyday lives. (Oh, and there’s the circumstance of a certain cat that might be the picture of how many of us feel.)
The safety of our photographers, and the people they photograph, is our first priority. Like most of us, the photographers and videographers of The Seattle Times have found ways to work around the hazards of the virus. They’re masked. They’re vaxxed. They’ve had countless COVID-19 tests up their nostrils. So far, so good. Not one of our visual journalists has gotten sick. Once again, “Knock on wood.”
And, once again, they’ve done really good work.
This annual feature of Pacific NW magazine, and our readers’ response to it, reminds those of us on the visual team of the extraordinary responsibility and good fortune we have to be the eyes of this news organization. It motivates us. It unifies us. It humbles us.
Thank you.
And, please, be careful out there!
PICTURES OF THE YEAR VIRTUAL SHOW
Our Pictures of the Year presentation, featuring Seattle Times photographers’ and videographers’ most memorable work, and the stories behind it, will be held online in partnership with Seattle Public Library. There is no charge, but registration will be required.
st.news/poy2021
Trooper vs. Trumpers Jan. 6
There was a sense that Jan. 6 could bring trouble to the state Capitol Building in Olympia. After the speakers, many armed, at the pro-Trump Stop the Steal rally, a few dozen protesters managed to breach the security fence to the governor’s mansion. One state trooper, backpedaling, attempted to stop them. Soon, more troopers and Thurston County deputies arrived outside the mansion. After 30 minutes, protesters were given warnings to leave or be arrested. Arguments took place among the protesters: All stick together, or all leave together. But some began leaving. The confrontation collapsed, and all left without any arrests. It could have gone in a different direction.
Critical mass in critical care Sept. 21
Central Washington Hospital was swamped with coronavirus patients, and grappling with a staffing shortage. Hospitals can be hard places to photograph because of patient privacy and permissions. I was really focused on the staff members, who were struggling from burnout and a rise in coronavirus patients in the ICU. The hospital orchestrated letting me photograph during one of the busiest times: They needed a lot of staff help when “proning” patients (turning them on their stomachs for easier breathing) and moving contagious patients to open rooms. This photo shows all the workers who are needed to move a COVID-19 patient, and the sense of urgency in the ICU, while protecting the patient’s identity. (Amanda Snyder / The Seattle Times) 2/38
FINALLY! March 21
Rysic Terada, 2, gives his great-grandfather George Kozu, 94, a hug after visiting him at The Lakeshore senior-living facility. It was the first time they had seen each other indoors since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Seattle Times reporter Paige Cornwell has closely documented the effects of the pandemic on our elderly community, particularly those in long-term care facilities, since the outbreak of the virus at Kirkland’s Life Care Center in 2020. Loneliness and isolation have been tough for many folks during the pandemic, but especially our most vulnerable. This moment in particular, photographed for Cornwell’s story about a family reuniting for the first time indoors, was a happy and hopeful one as the vaccine rollout started to offer more protection for folks in care homes and allow reopening for visitation.
A family's COVID devastation Feb. 23
Patsy Martinez tears up while visiting the final resting place of her parents, Eduardo and Gabriela "Nena" Sanchez, at a cemetery mausoleum in Mount Vernon. Martinez is the couple's eldest daughter. She said facing her parents’ deaths from COVID-19 was "a bad nightmare” and devastating for her family. Eduardo and Nena met in the 1970s while working in Eastern Washington, raised six children and saw their family grow to a tight-knit clan of 40-plus. Loved ones described Eduardo and Nena as “generous and thoughtful.” They loved backyard barbecues, celebrations, and being surrounded by their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Safety in numbers March 13
Volunteers at vaccination stations raise their numbers to show they are available for the next person in line at the Community Vaccination Site at Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle. The early days of the coronavirus vaccine rollout to the general public seemed so exciting and urgent compared to where we are at the end of 2021 — when controversy, misinformation and variants have formed a toxic stew that perpetuates the crisis, seeming now to drag on with no foreseeable end. The opening of Seattle’s mass vaccination site next to Lumen Field felt electric as city leaders and members of the media gathered to document the transformation of the site from sports and entertainment to public health. (Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times) 5/38
Faith, healing Oct. 20
Pastor Hector Garcia points to the sky after being discharged from the Everett Center, a rehabilitation facility. After Garcia battled for his life with COVID-19, I could tell that he was so thankful to God and the staff. Because he is a man of faith and had such a harrowing journey with the virus, this moment portrayed the relief and gratitude he must have felt as he was discharged.
Bearing witness to freedom May 11
Two bear clubs, a brother and sister, were only 2 weeks old when a forest worker inadvertently disturbed their den, scaring away their mother. The PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood rehabilitated the abandoned cubs for 15 months and let me capture their release back into the wild. For safety purposes, we had to stay behind the culvert trap and the forest workers. (You can see me on the truck bed on the left.) The barking dogs and flash bangs were there to scare the bears away from people and quickly into the forest. With advice from the PAWS Wildlife Center photographer, I set up two GoPros on short tripods in front of the culvert trap to best capture some of the possible directions the bears would run. The GoPros were programmed to take a photo every .5 seconds — any slower, and I would miss a movement. As the second bear exited, he was confused and scared, and he ran around both sides of the culvert trap toward the truck. The dogs and loud noises scared him right into the frame of my GoPro. With a lot of luck on the timing, and a little bit of preparation, the photo turned out the way I hoped it would. (Amanda Snyder / The Seattle Times) 7/38
Like finding a needle in a raindrop Nov. 3
A cluster of delicate raindrops refracts the Space Needle on the window of my car in Seattle. I had this photo idea in the back of my mind for a rainy day for a few months. As a photojournalist who recently moved to Seattle for The Times, I’ve never covered so much rain.
Farewell to a friend July 1
One of the hardest things to photograph is a memorial or vigil. We were given permission to photograph the emotional memorial service of police officer Alexandra “Lexi” Harris, who was hit by a driver and killed when she stopped to help at a crash scene. Hundreds of police officers were in attendance at T-Mobile Park to pay respect to Lexi. I respected the family not wanting to be photographed and instead focused on Lexi's co-workers who spoke at the service. Just as the service finished, I saw Seattle Police officer Cali Hinzman overwhelmed with emotion. She was a very close friend of Lexi's, which made the photo all the more moving.
Well-prepared for a tribute May 31
Chaos ensues when Boy Scouts rush to pick up ceremonial flags at the 95th Memorial Day ceremony at Washelli Memorial Cemetery, and Jared Petras, 10, is in the center of the scrum. Knowing I’d be run over by the Scouts, I positioned myself on the other side of the table as the rush began. Each of the cemetery’s 5,000 white, upright marble markers received a flag placed by Scouts, community members and veterans.
A farmer’s (and father's) resonant emotions Nov. 24
“It was tough to leave them.” That’s what Jordan Baumgardner, left, said of having to abandon his rescue of the family’s dairy cows in the middle of the night as floodwaters became too high and too swift. The animals had been secured on a protected piece of high ground, but when an electric fence shorted out from rising waters, the creatures of habit started returning to their barn for milking. Forty-four perished. Still reeling days later, Baumgardner is consoled by his wife, Jamie, who holds their daughter, Grace, as he recounts venturing into the water that submerged his family’s Mount Vernon dairy farm. I can’t remember another photograph of mine triggering such a significant emotional response from readers, as well as journalists in my own newsroom. I read the emails and online comments with a renewed appreciation of how good photojournalism can spur empathy. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times) 11/38
Catch of the day Aug. 31
The fish were really flying off Lone Tree Point near La Conner after this seining net was pulled ashore, and after I moved in as tightly as possible, fish scales coated my lens as it was randomly hit by pink salmon. From left are members of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community fishing crew: Tamara Cayou, Donna Ikebe (on knees), David Grossglass (white hat), John Grossglass (brown hat), Tandy Grossglass (with orange slicker) and Jahrel Cayou, at far right. The Swinomish have been fishing off this beach for generations.
A pup tent Sept. 12
One Sunday morning, I had driven out to Harbor Avenue Southwest in West Seattle to look for a weather feature of rain over the city skyline, when I saw volunteers with NOAA vests exiting their cars by Seahurst Park. I figured there might be something going on, so I parked and found this scene unfolding of Lynn Shimamoto, a trained investigator with Seal Sitters, and a few other volunteers rescuing an injured young harbor seal from the beach. The seal, seemingly thin and struggling with respiratory issues, had been spotted several times earlier, coming up on very busy beaches and getting chased by a dog into the water. They made the decision to corral it into a carrier to safely transport it to the SeaLife Response Rehab and Research (SR3) marine animal hospital in Des Moines. Shimamoto says it is incredibly important for the public not to approach or disturb marine wildlife. Wildlife hospitals will not accept drop-offs of marine animals from the public. If you observe an animal on a West Seattle beach in distress, call the hotline at 206-905-SEAL; see sealsitters.org for more information.
Extreme coolness Feb. 13
During a rare snowfall in Seattle, I thought I’d check out Pike Place Market. As I turned the corner at Pike Street, snowboarder Max Djenohan was doing tricks on a handrail. I headed down a stairwell for a better angle. His friends monitored the sidewalk. The street was closed. Snow flew. (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times) 14/38
A smoke-darkened dawn Aug. 13
In photography, it’s critical to have luck on your side. But you also have to be ready, to anticipate a lucky moment. While I was out at sunrise to shoot smoky, hot weather, a Coast Guard helicopter was circling Lake Washington. It flew right into the perfect spot, so ... dial-a-photo.
