Sometimes I know what the lead photo for a story will be before I take it. This was the case while walking with Selena Walley, 27, to pick up her two oldest daughters — Savannah, left, 8, and La’Riah, 6 — from school. At the time, Walley and her family were living at a tiny house village in Seattle. I wanted to capture the moment the three met from an angle that showed faces with a clear background. The story, beautifully written by Anna Patrick for Mother’s Day, focused on mothers surviving homelessness. It’s common to see parents hugging their children after a day of school, but after learning about Walley’s journey, and her struggle to find a permanent home, the intensity of this embrace means more to me. When I look at this photo, I see a family’s love and a mother’s resilience. I’m also happy to report that months after this photo was taken, Walley and her family found a permanent home. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

Embracing resilience
May 8

Sometimes I know what the lead photo for a story will be before I take it. This was the case while walking with Selena Walley, 27, to pick up her two oldest daughters — Savannah, left, 8, and La’Riah, 6 — from school. At the time, Walley and her family were living at a tiny house village in Seattle. I wanted to capture the moment the three met from an angle that showed faces with a clear background. The story, beautifully written by Anna Patrick for Mother’s Day, focused on mothers surviving homelessness. It’s common to see parents hugging their children after a day of school, but after learning about Walley’s journey, and her struggle to find a permanent home, the intensity of this embrace means more to me. When I look at this photo, I see a family’s love and a mother’s resilience. I’m also happy to report that months after this photo was taken, Walley and her family found a permanent home. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

1/56

I woke up around 4 a.m. to make sure I didn't miss the sunrise over Seattle with the iconic Smith Tower in the skyline. I wanted to photograph the sunrise to show the building's new beginnings with the news that it was up for sale. In this photograph, I used a drone with a long lens to capture the city waking up. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

Towering above a sleepy city
August 4

I woke up around 4 a.m. to make sure I didn't miss the sunrise over Seattle with the iconic Smith Tower in the skyline. I wanted to photograph the sunrise to show the building's new beginnings with the news that it was up for sale. In this photograph, I used a drone with a long lens to capture the city waking up. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

2/56

34,130 people came to Lumen Field for the Megan Rapinoe goodbye game with the OL Reign. It was a record crowd for a women’s sporting event in the city. There was a pregame ceremony. There was a game. There was a postgame ceremony. All of them yielded photos of Rapinoe. But my favorite one came during the run of play. In the first half, Rapinoe elevated to pass a ball back to a teammate. Concentration was etched on her face as she lined up her pink boot with the pink-laced game ball of the NWSL. She is flanked by two Washington Spirit players, a full stadium behind her. Rapinoe eventually would have one other “last” game at Lumen Field as the Reign advanced through the playoffs. They would make it all the way to the championship game in San Diego almost a month later. But in the third minute of that game, Rapinoe would fall to the turf and hold up her right foot. In her final game ever, Rapinoe, leaning heavily on team trainers, would exit the game with a torn Achilles, her career over after 180 seconds. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Flying high before goodbye
October 6

34,130 people came to Lumen Field for the Megan Rapinoe goodbye game with the OL Reign. It was a record crowd for a women’s sporting event in the city. There was a pregame ceremony. There was a game. There was a postgame ceremony. All of them yielded photos of Rapinoe. But my favorite one came during the run of play. In the first half, Rapinoe elevated to pass a ball back to a teammate. Concentration was etched on her face as she lined up her pink boot with the pink-laced game ball of the NWSL. She is flanked by two Washington Spirit players, a full stadium behind her. Rapinoe eventually would have one other “last” game at Lumen Field as the Reign advanced through the playoffs. They would make it all the way to the championship game in San Diego almost a month later. But in the third minute of that game, Rapinoe would fall to the turf and hold up her right foot. In her final game ever, Rapinoe, leaning heavily on team trainers, would exit the game with a torn Achilles, her career over after 180 seconds. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

3/56

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe, a voice of social awareness, has been a Seattle icon for many years, with an international fan base. I photographed the local legend at the OL Reign training facilities after a lengthy interview. Due to time constraints, I had set up for one photo with studio lights, a ball and her jersey. Before leaving the room for the site of the photo shoot, and with the interview wrapping up, inspiration struck. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

The end of her Reign
September 12

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe, a voice of social awareness, has been a Seattle icon for many years, with an international fan base. I photographed the local legend at the OL Reign training facilities after a lengthy interview. Due to time constraints, I had set up for one photo with studio lights, a ball and her jersey. Before leaving the room for the site of the photo shoot, and with the interview wrapping up, inspiration struck. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

4/56

I was sitting at Lumen Field editing the last image from an OL Reign soccer game when I got a call from my editor: There had been a shooting at Safeway in Rainier Beach; multiple people were hospitalized. I quickly finished my edit and headed out. I parked across the street from Safeway, unsure of access in and out of the parking lot. I started photographing what I saw. A massive police presence turned the sky into a kaleidoscope of blue and red. Police had taped off the front of the grocery store, but it was clear that wasn’t where the shooting had been. As I worked my way around the perimeter of the parking lot, I rounded a corner and almost stopped in my tracks: Dozens upon dozens of yellow evidence markers had been placed on the ground. I had never seen so many. An officer knelt on the dark pavement, the flash on his phone illuminating numbers that went all the way to 94. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Evidence of a shooting
July 28

I was sitting at Lumen Field editing the last image from an OL Reign soccer game when I got a call from my editor: There had been a shooting at Safeway in Rainier Beach; multiple people were hospitalized. I quickly finished my edit and headed out. I parked across the street from Safeway, unsure of access in and out of the parking lot. I started photographing what I saw. A massive police presence turned the sky into a kaleidoscope of blue and red. Police had taped off the front of the grocery store, but it was clear that wasn’t where the shooting had been. As I worked my way around the perimeter of the parking lot, I rounded a corner and almost stopped in my tracks: Dozens upon dozens of yellow evidence markers had been placed on the ground. I had never seen so many. An officer knelt on the dark pavement, the flash on his phone illuminating numbers that went all the way to 94. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

5/56

Family — including aunt Marta Woldemariam, center — students and community members march near Ingraham High School to honor Ebenezer Haile, 17, who was shot and killed at school Nov. 8, 2022. “More than 50 students, many wearing white T-shirts with Haile’s photo printed on the front, gathered to honor his life, and also to call for stricter gun control,” wrote Seattle Times reporter Monica Velez. “Speakers said Haile was humble, down to earth and compassionate. He played basketball frequently at community centers in the area. And he spent a lot of time with his friends and family.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

A remembrance, and a call to action
April 26

Family — including aunt Marta Woldemariam, center — students and community members march near Ingraham High School to honor Ebenezer Haile, 17, who was shot and killed at school Nov. 8, 2022. “More than 50 students, many wearing white T-shirts with Haile’s photo printed on the front, gathered to honor his life, and also to call for stricter gun control,” wrote Seattle Times reporter Monica Velez. “Speakers said Haile was humble, down to earth and compassionate. He played basketball frequently at community centers in the area. And he spent a lot of time with his friends and family.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

6/56

My editor sent me to a large police presence at Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street in Belltown. Upon arrival, I did not see these bullet holes, because more than a dozen investigating officers blocked them from view. As police continued to move around the horrific crime scene, revealed was the car where Eina Kwon, who was pregnant, was fatally shot while stopped at a traffic light. Also shot in the car was her husband, Sung Kwon, who was treated and released from Harborview Medical Center. The couple’s baby girl, Evelyn Kwon, died after an emergency delivery. I later covered the suspect’s arraignment, attended by members of the local Korean American community, where the 30-year-old man pleaded not guilty to the daytime shooting. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

The scene of a fatal daytime shooting
June 13

My editor sent me to a large police presence at Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street in Belltown. Upon arrival, I did not see these bullet holes, because more than a dozen investigating officers blocked them from view. As police continued to move around the horrific crime scene, revealed was the car where Eina Kwon, who was pregnant, was fatally shot while stopped at a traffic light. Also shot in the car was her husband, Sung Kwon, who was treated and released from Harborview Medical Center. The couple’s baby girl, Evelyn Kwon, died after an emergency delivery. I later covered the suspect’s arraignment, attended by members of the local Korean American community, where the 30-year-old man pleaded not guilty to the daytime shooting. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

7/56

Tulip fans take in the blooms at Tulip Town in Mount Vernon, where two tulip fields are embroiled in a legal battle: one a local institution with decades of experience, and the other the new kid on the block run by a former partner of the older field of flowers. It was a beautiful day to take in the annual tulips of Skagit County. After shooting many and multiple tulip photos, I stood in one spot, letting the action come to me. Framing the foreground tulips and the background trees, I waited for people to fill in the space in between. Ideally, it would have been a kid with a red balloon in one section, followed by parents with a stroller and — why not? — a rainbow. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

Filling in the field
April 25

Tulip fans take in the blooms at Tulip Town in Mount Vernon, where two tulip fields are embroiled in a legal battle: one a local institution with decades of experience, and the other the new kid on the block run by a former partner of the older field of flowers. It was a beautiful day to take in the annual tulips of Skagit County. After shooting many and multiple tulip photos, I stood in one spot, letting the action come to me. Framing the foreground tulips and the background trees, I waited for people to fill in the space in between. Ideally, it would have been a kid with a red balloon in one section, followed by parents with a stroller and — why not? — a rainbow. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

8/56

Cam Providence; his 1-day-old son, Messiah Divine Knight Providence; and Genesis Providence, 5, make a call inside the postpartum unit at Providence Swedish First Hill. Messiah's mother, Trinity Landrum, and Cam Providence worked with LaShaye Stanton-Phillips, a doula with Providence Swedish Health’s JUST Birth Network, who advocates for birthing parents and provides support, education and culturally relevant care. Their story, photos and video were included in Alison Saldanha’s article, “To prevent maternal deaths, WA looks for advocates in pregnancy care.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Supported from the very start
May 19

Cam Providence; his 1-day-old son, Messiah Divine Knight Providence; and Genesis Providence, 5, make a call inside the postpartum unit at Providence Swedish First Hill. Messiah's mother, Trinity Landrum, and Cam Providence worked with LaShaye Stanton-Phillips, a doula with Providence Swedish Health’s JUST Birth Network, who advocates for birthing parents and provides support, education and culturally relevant care. Their story, photos and video were included in Alison Saldanha’s article, “To prevent maternal deaths, WA looks for advocates in pregnancy care.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

9/56

Thirteen children from Ukraine who lost their fathers in the war visited Seattle for two weeks to get away from the trauma in their country. Alex Dudko, founder of a group supporting Ukrainians affected by the war, brought the kids here, where they enjoyed the Spacequest VR ride at the Museum of Flight. I cannot possibly know what they have been through. It was just a joy to see them be able to get away from it for a while. The war, like so many others, just seems so senseless to me. Simply heartbreaking. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

A temporary reprieve
February 13

Thirteen children from Ukraine who lost their fathers in the war visited Seattle for two weeks to get away from the trauma in their country. Alex Dudko, founder of a group supporting Ukrainians affected by the war, brought the kids here, where they enjoyed the Spacequest VR ride at the Museum of Flight. I cannot possibly know what they have been through. It was just a joy to see them be able to get away from it for a while. The war, like so many others, just seems so senseless to me. Simply heartbreaking. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

10/56

When this voter in Lake City peered into a King County elections box clogged with ballots on Election Day, who knew it would become a visual metaphor for how long it would take for election results to be tallied? Several races, separated by fewer than 500 votes, finally would be recorded at the end of November. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

Hello in there? Hello?
November 7

When this voter in Lake City peered into a King County elections box clogged with ballots on Election Day, who knew it would become a visual metaphor for how long it would take for election results to be tallied? Several races, separated by fewer than 500 votes, finally would be recorded at the end of November. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

11/56

John Horne is a dreamer: a caretaker of lost souls, broken buildings and historical treasures. Meeting him, and people searching for family members who were patients at an abandoned psychiatric institution in Skagit County, the Northern State Hospital, was a highlight of my year. Northern State, which housed thousands of Washingtonians until the 1970s, had been a dream, too — a place in the idyllic countryside that could care for mentally ill patients. Today, its crumbling and vandalized buildings hold secrets, but its cemetery of unmarked and misplaced graves is getting more attention. Along with The Seattle Times’ publication of long-sealed death records, John’s devotion to uncover and identify the grave markers is paying off: Families are being reunited with the remains of their loved ones. — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

A caretaker of connections
June 17

John Horne is a dreamer: a caretaker of lost souls, broken buildings and historical treasures. Meeting him, and people searching for family members who were patients at an abandoned psychiatric institution in Skagit County, the Northern State Hospital, was a highlight of my year. Northern State, which housed thousands of Washingtonians until the 1970s, had been a dream, too — a place in the idyllic countryside that could care for mentally ill patients. Today, its crumbling and vandalized buildings hold secrets, but its cemetery of unmarked and misplaced graves is getting more attention. Along with The Seattle Times’ publication of long-sealed death records, John’s devotion to uncover and identify the grave markers is paying off: Families are being reunited with the remains of their loved ones. — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

12/56

Susan and Brian’s daughter plays on their Eastside patio a few weeks before the start of second grade. “She has a big heart, and she is a sensitive soul and wants to believe the best in people,” says Brian. Last year, their family moved to Washington due to the anti-trans laws, policies and sentiment in Texas. A year after the move, the family shared its story with reporter Tat Bellamy-Walker and me. “After the story about our family came out, we got a lot of supportive comments from people we know,” says Susan. “I appreciated them more than I can express — they really helped our morale as a family. But I hope that, more than inspiring sympathy toward our individual family, our story helped people to see us as part of a larger group of people affected by the recent wave of virulently transphobic laws and policies happening across the U.S. There are a lot of other families like mine and a lot of trans adults who have also fled unsafe states, or who haven’t been able to leave unsafe places yet, or may never be able to. All of us are deserving of your support, and the surge of hate that has affected our lives is deserving of your attention.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Seeking safety and support
September 8

Susan and Brian’s daughter plays on their Eastside patio a few weeks before the start of second grade. “She has a big heart, and she is a sensitive soul and wants to believe the best in people,” says Brian. Last year, their family moved to Washington due to the anti-trans laws, policies and sentiment in Texas. A year after the move, the family shared its story with reporter Tat Bellamy-Walker and me. “After the story about our family came out, we got a lot of supportive comments from people we know,” says Susan. “I appreciated them more than I can express — they really helped our morale as a family. But I hope that, more than inspiring sympathy toward our individual family, our story helped people to see us as part of a larger group of people affected by the recent wave of virulently transphobic laws and policies happening across the U.S. There are a lot of other families like mine and a lot of trans adults who have also fled unsafe states, or who haven’t been able to leave unsafe places yet, or may never be able to. All of us are deserving of your support, and the surge of hate that has affected our lives is deserving of your attention.” — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

13/56

A smokejumper participates in a proficiency jump near North Cascades Smokejumper Base in Winthrop, Okanogan County. Rookie smokejumpers need to successfully complete at least 25 jumps to become a qualified smokejumper, training manager Iñaki Baraibar says. “Smokejumpers are an elite group of wildland firefighters trained to parachute out of planes and into remote areas to fight blazes. The hope is that if they can quickly stop the fire at its source, they’ll prevent its spread. With roughly 400 smokejumpers across nine bases in the Western U.S., this small group of specialists is the federal wildland firefighting force’s equivalent of the military’s special forces units,” wrote reporter Gregory Scruggs. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Staying one jump ahead
July 5

A smokejumper participates in a proficiency jump near North Cascades Smokejumper Base in Winthrop, Okanogan County. Rookie smokejumpers need to successfully complete at least 25 jumps to become a qualified smokejumper, training manager Iñaki Baraibar says. “Smokejumpers are an elite group of wildland firefighters trained to parachute out of planes and into remote areas to fight blazes. The hope is that if they can quickly stop the fire at its source, they’ll prevent its spread. With roughly 400 smokejumpers across nine bases in the Western U.S., this small group of specialists is the federal wildland firefighting force’s equivalent of the military’s special forces units,” wrote reporter Gregory Scruggs. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

14/56

A single tree explodes in color along a Northeast Seattle block as the region eased into autumn. I had just gotten a new drone to replace one I had used since 2019, which no longer met the FAA’s new remote identification requirements — a wonderful happenstance, because the camera on this updated one renders colors so much better. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

Coming through in flying colors
October 5

A single tree explodes in color along a Northeast Seattle block as the region eased into autumn. I had just gotten a new drone to replace one I had used since 2019, which no longer met the FAA’s new remote identification requirements — a wonderful happenstance, because the camera on this updated one renders colors so much better. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

15/56

As someone who is deeply obsessed with the rainbows of the Pacific Northwest, I remember waiting in line to get back from Vashon Island via ferry before I took this picture. I saw a little precursor to a rainbow in the background of the ferry a few moments before this image was taken. I thought the conditions should be just right to get another rainbow picture, if I were lucky. To my surprise, water flowed down from the heavens, and the sun blazed through the clouds behind me. I saw this ship about to pass the end of the rainbow, and I got the exact moment that it appears to cross the end of the rainbow. To this day, I have never seen such an incredible spectacle. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

Hitting the jackpot of gold
October 16

As someone who is deeply obsessed with the rainbows of the Pacific Northwest, I remember waiting in line to get back from Vashon Island via ferry before I took this picture. I saw a little precursor to a rainbow in the background of the ferry a few moments before this image was taken. I thought the conditions should be just right to get another rainbow picture, if I were lucky. To my surprise, water flowed down from the heavens, and the sun blazed through the clouds behind me. I saw this ship about to pass the end of the rainbow, and I got the exact moment that it appears to cross the end of the rainbow. To this day, I have never seen such an incredible spectacle. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

16/56

Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium added twin 2-year-old female polar bears: Astra, shown here, and Laerka. Weighing almost 600 pounds each, the bears were first on public display June 14, but we were invited to photograph the twins two days earlier. Shooting through a large glass window, I followed Astra as she approached her new surroundings. The mirror-flat water provided the twin image as she stepped into her pool. The bear cubs were born and raised at the Detroit Zoo and were flown here last June 2. Arriving at Sea-Tac Airport, they then were transported by refrigerated truck to the Tacoma zoo. — Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times

A twin and its twin image
June 12

Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium added twin 2-year-old female polar bears: Astra, shown here, and Laerka. Weighing almost 600 pounds each, the bears were first on public display June 14, but we were invited to photograph the twins two days earlier. Shooting through a large glass window, I followed Astra as she approached her new surroundings. The mirror-flat water provided the twin image as she stepped into her pool. The bear cubs were born and raised at the Detroit Zoo and were flown here last June 2. Arriving at Sea-Tac Airport, they then were transported by refrigerated truck to the Tacoma zoo. — Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times

17/56

As a photographer, it is easy to get swept up looking for “the moment,” but sometimes the most compelling photograph can be made in between the action. While photographing the Redmond Raja Ganesh Festival, I focused on putting myself into a position that would let me photograph the performers while they weren’t performing, but waiting to. While walking away to seek shelter from the rain, I noticed flashes of red and green coming from the white tent behind the stage. I saw Beats of Redmond drummers looking out of the tent toward the stage waiting for their cue, and I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

Taking a beat
September 23

As a photographer, it is easy to get swept up looking for “the moment,” but sometimes the most compelling photograph can be made in between the action. While photographing the Redmond Raja Ganesh Festival, I focused on putting myself into a position that would let me photograph the performers while they weren’t performing, but waiting to. While walking away to seek shelter from the rain, I noticed flashes of red and green coming from the white tent behind the stage. I saw Beats of Redmond drummers looking out of the tent toward the stage waiting for their cue, and I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

18/56

First responders care for a dog after a fire broke out at The Dog Resort on Lake City Way, forcing an evacuation of the day care center, with employees scrambling to find temporary pet housing for the day. No fatalities were reported; a few canines were transported to local veterinarians for treatment. It was a day that I had called in sick. I was stuffy and achy, but I live up the hill from the site of the fire. I heard multiple sirens in my neighborhood and checked the Pulse app for a first responder callout. I arrived to a scene of confusion and dogs: some loose, some escorted by the collar to a neighboring fenced-in business. Stepping over streams of running water and past people corralling dogs, I noticed two first responders kneeling over a husky, its eyes closed, with an oxygen mask attached to its snout and more dogs being escorted from the scene. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

Canine care
February 1

First responders care for a dog after a fire broke out at The Dog Resort on Lake City Way, forcing an evacuation of the day care center, with employees scrambling to find temporary pet housing for the day. No fatalities were reported; a few canines were transported to local veterinarians for treatment. It was a day that I had called in sick. I was stuffy and achy, but I live up the hill from the site of the fire. I heard multiple sirens in my neighborhood and checked the Pulse app for a first responder callout. I arrived to a scene of confusion and dogs: some loose, some escorted by the collar to a neighboring fenced-in business. Stepping over streams of running water and past people corralling dogs, I noticed two first responders kneeling over a husky, its eyes closed, with an oxygen mask attached to its snout and more dogs being escorted from the scene. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

19/56

I grew up in Portland, so this photo of Heidi Aurand mourning the loss of her son, Adam, in her Portland home hit close to home. I spent early 2023 documenting those who were lost to the fentanyl crisis the year before — with that experience still fresh in mind, I made sure during the interview that I was careful and compassionate. Using a silent shutter, I was able to listen and photograph Aurand remembering the life of her son without the intrusive shutter sound. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

A mother's loss
June 27

I grew up in Portland, so this photo of Heidi Aurand mourning the loss of her son, Adam, in her Portland home hit close to home. I spent early 2023 documenting those who were lost to the fentanyl crisis the year before — with that experience still fresh in mind, I made sure during the interview that I was careful and compassionate. Using a silent shutter, I was able to listen and photograph Aurand remembering the life of her son without the intrusive shutter sound. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

20/56

I would place coverage of a derailed BNSF train on the Swinomish Reservation in Anacortes as the perfect spot news assignment. Firstly, no one was injured. Secondly, it was perfect flying weather, with a near-empty parking lot, to launch a Mavic 3 drone, and the Swinomish Tribe gave its permission. Lastly, reporter Isabella Breda discovered that a trial was set to begin over the tribe’s 2015 lawsuit alleging that BNSF trespassed when it ran thousands of trains filled with highly combustible crude oil over the reservation without the tribe’s consent. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

Getting the inside track
March 16

I would place coverage of a derailed BNSF train on the Swinomish Reservation in Anacortes as the perfect spot news assignment. Firstly, no one was injured. Secondly, it was perfect flying weather, with a near-empty parking lot, to launch a Mavic 3 drone, and the Swinomish Tribe gave its permission. Lastly, reporter Isabella Breda discovered that a trial was set to begin over the tribe’s 2015 lawsuit alleging that BNSF trespassed when it ran thousands of trains filled with highly combustible crude oil over the reservation without the tribe’s consent. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

21/56

It has been a historic run for the Huskies football team this season. Great teams make for great photographs — and this is a great team. The Huskies won the Pac-12 Championship, beating Oregon 34-31 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. I knew instinctively the team on the riser would be a chaotic scene, so I grabbed a space on an adjacent stage to make the trophy picture, knowing that if I ran to the front of the stage, there was a good chance that I wouldn’t be able to see everything that was happening. You kind of pick one angle in the crush of reporters and try to make that work. Being a little higher afforded me an opportunity to see the entire team celebrate, and pick and choose the framing I thought would be the most celebratory. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

That championship season
December 1

It has been a historic run for the Huskies football team this season. Great teams make for great photographs — and this is a great team. The Huskies won the Pac-12 Championship, beating Oregon 34-31 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. I knew instinctively the team on the riser would be a chaotic scene, so I grabbed a space on an adjacent stage to make the trophy picture, knowing that if I ran to the front of the stage, there was a good chance that I wouldn’t be able to see everything that was happening. You kind of pick one angle in the crush of reporters and try to make that work. Being a little higher afforded me an opportunity to see the entire team celebrate, and pick and choose the framing I thought would be the most celebratory. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

22/56

Michael Penix Jr.: one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at the University of Washington. He has led his team to a 13-0 record and defeated the Oregon Ducks in the conference final; next up is a spot in the College Football Playoff. Penix is composed and calm — not emotionless, but not a chest thumper. One of his only acts of bravado is to fire an invisible arrow downfield when he completes a deep pass. Often, the best times to photograph such important players are at away games. The crowd is less intense, and the players are more open to greeting fans, signing autographs, high-fiving. Such it was when the Huskies traveled to East Lansing to play Michigan State early in the season. UW had no problem dispatching the Spartans, 41-7. After the game, Penix took a half lap around the quickly emptying stadium, high-fiving fans of every age as long as they were in Husky purple. The beams of a light stand briefly starred behind his head as he reached up to touch the fingers of a young fan. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Reaching for a star
September 16

Michael Penix Jr.: one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at the University of Washington. He has led his team to a 13-0 record and defeated the Oregon Ducks in the conference final; next up is a spot in the College Football Playoff. Penix is composed and calm — not emotionless, but not a chest thumper. One of his only acts of bravado is to fire an invisible arrow downfield when he completes a deep pass. Often, the best times to photograph such important players are at away games. The crowd is less intense, and the players are more open to greeting fans, signing autographs, high-fiving. Such it was when the Huskies traveled to East Lansing to play Michigan State early in the season. UW had no problem dispatching the Spartans, 41-7. After the game, Penix took a half lap around the quickly emptying stadium, high-fiving fans of every age as long as they were in Husky purple. The beams of a light stand briefly starred behind his head as he reached up to touch the fingers of a young fan. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

23/56

The great thing about having a couple of photographers covering a game is that we can put ourselves at opposite ends of the stadium for the game-winning field goal — in this case, delivered by Huskies kicker Grady Gross as time expired to beat Washington State, 24-21, in the Apple Cup. I positioned myself at the far end of the stadium to watch the ball clear the defenders. The bad thing about having two photographers is that one always will have to run to the far end of the field to get reactions to the game-winner. And in this case, it was me — and my 64-year-old knees — churning across the field just to throw myself into the mosh pit of celebration that came out of Washington’s last-second victory. You don’t get a lot of pictures in a situation like that — there are bodies flying everywhere. So the best I could do was hold the camera above my head and point it in the direction of Gross, and hope he somehow made it into focus. I took my fair share of abuse, which is why the horizon is crooked. But — c’mon. It’s a great moment in Husky history. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

Kick, kick, hooray!
November 25

The great thing about having a couple of photographers covering a game is that we can put ourselves at opposite ends of the stadium for the game-winning field goal — in this case, delivered by Huskies kicker Grady Gross as time expired to beat Washington State, 24-21, in the Apple Cup. I positioned myself at the far end of the stadium to watch the ball clear the defenders. The bad thing about having two photographers is that one always will have to run to the far end of the field to get reactions to the game-winner. And in this case, it was me — and my 64-year-old knees — churning across the field just to throw myself into the mosh pit of celebration that came out of Washington’s last-second victory. You don’t get a lot of pictures in a situation like that — there are bodies flying everywhere. So the best I could do was hold the camera above my head and point it in the direction of Gross, and hope he somehow made it into focus. I took my fair share of abuse, which is why the horizon is crooked. But — c’mon. It’s a great moment in Husky history. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

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Mermaids brave the deep end of the pool during an apprentice mermaid program class by The Seattle Mermaid School at Juanita Aquatics Center in Kirkland. Olive Teague, founder of the Seattle Mermaid School, moved to Seattle from Florida during the pandemic in 2020. Teague, who uses they/them pronouns, says the mermaid community in Florida Springs grew organically with accessibility to the water, but Seattle had a different story: “I knew very quickly that it was going to be up to me to create the community around me that I wanted to see.” Teague says they became the Pacific Northwest’s first Professional Association of Diving Instructors mermaid instructor and created pool space and accessibility for mermaids: “I just loved that feeling of weightlessness. And my passion in life has been giving that feeling of weightlessness and joy to as many humans as I possibly can.” — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

Mermaid for diving
April 14

Mermaids brave the deep end of the pool during an apprentice mermaid program class by The Seattle Mermaid School at Juanita Aquatics Center in Kirkland. Olive Teague, founder of the Seattle Mermaid School, moved to Seattle from Florida during the pandemic in 2020. Teague, who uses they/them pronouns, says the mermaid community in Florida Springs grew organically with accessibility to the water, but Seattle had a different story: “I knew very quickly that it was going to be up to me to create the community around me that I wanted to see.” Teague says they became the Pacific Northwest’s first Professional Association of Diving Instructors mermaid instructor and created pool space and accessibility for mermaids: “I just loved that feeling of weightlessness. And my passion in life has been giving that feeling of weightlessness and joy to as many humans as I possibly can.” — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

25/56

Brian Hitchens, of Edmonds, rides a wave at Lakeside Surf in Chelan. This is the world’s most powerful artificial standing wave. At 50 feet across, it had been the biggest such wave until a 100-foot artificial wave ride opened on Oahu. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Surfing turf
June 13

Brian Hitchens, of Edmonds, rides a wave at Lakeside Surf in Chelan. This is the world’s most powerful artificial standing wave. At 50 feet across, it had been the biggest such wave until a 100-foot artificial wave ride opened on Oahu. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

26/56

Horse racing in the Pacific Northwest means the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. For photographers, the Mile itself is meh; the amazing light is gone by the time that race goes off. But the light for the races before the Mile is all sorts of amazing. This day, wildfire smoke rolled in and made the oh-so-amazing light a touch softer and more filled in; I could shoot backlit and not worry too much about blowing everything out: perfect conditions for a rail remote camera. Horses are, above all, a fright animal, meaning that ever since a horse was a horse (of course, of course), it has survived by running away from anything that scares it. And that includes photographers lying under the rail of a racetrack. So in order to get this photo angle, photographers have to use a remote camera. This photo, of jockey Jose Zunino riding Jamies Inheritance through the setting sun during the 44th running of the Washington Oaks, was prefocused at 17 mm, 1/1600th of a second at f16 and set just after the finish line. We call f16

On the fast track
August 13

Horse racing in the Pacific Northwest means the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. For photographers, the Mile itself is meh; the amazing light is gone by the time that race goes off. But the light for the races before the Mile is all sorts of amazing. This day, wildfire smoke rolled in and made the oh-so-amazing light a touch softer and more filled in; I could shoot backlit and not worry too much about blowing everything out: perfect conditions for a rail remote camera. Horses are, above all, a fright animal, meaning that ever since a horse was a horse (of course, of course), it has survived by running away from anything that scares it. And that includes photographers lying under the rail of a racetrack. So in order to get this photo angle, photographers have to use a remote camera. This photo, of jockey Jose Zunino riding Jamies Inheritance through the setting sun during the 44th running of the Washington Oaks, was prefocused at 17 mm, 1/1600th of a second at f16 and set just after the finish line. We call f16 "sunny 16" because of the starburst it creates, and it certainly showed off this day. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

27/56

Miracle Sepulveda, one-third of the roller-skating trio Roll Around Seatown, performs to music spun by DJ Chardonnay at the Scooped Ice Cream Festival on a perfectly sunny Sunday. The skaters were so quick, it was hard to compose a great shot with the colorful background, but a little cropping and a perfectly placed pause in Sepulveda's performance made this photo work. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

Skates and scoops
July 9

Miracle Sepulveda, one-third of the roller-skating trio Roll Around Seatown, performs to music spun by DJ Chardonnay at the Scooped Ice Cream Festival on a perfectly sunny Sunday. The skaters were so quick, it was hard to compose a great shot with the colorful background, but a little cropping and a perfectly placed pause in Sepulveda's performance made this photo work. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

28/56

Word came down from on high (aka Macklemore’s social accounts) that Mac would be performing a free show that night at Neumos on Capitol Hill. A few days before, the Seattle rapper had caused a bit of a stir when he released his worldwide tour schedule, and the Emerald City was notably not on it. Fans immediately began to line up, and by 6 p.m., the line stretched three-fourths of the way around a city block, everyone hoping that the 700-person capacity club would be able to squeeze them in. I’ve often heard that Neumos is a great place to see a show. But I’m guessing what fans like about it is what makes is exceptionally hard to photograph: There are no photo “positions” — no pit, no mixing board to stand in front of. It’s just you and 700 very hot, very sweaty fans inches from the artist. I had debated about staying for the full show. I knew I had to upload photos that night for the online gallery. Should I bounce after a few songs? Or should I stay to see whether Macklemore did anything awesome for his hometown crowd? Thankfully, I opted for the latter. After the very last song of the encore, Macklemore went crowd surfing — not so much surfing as walking — and stepped off the stage onto the waiting arms of his devoted fans. For a split second, the hands were backlit by the house lights — dozens of fans reaching out to hold up their hero, Macklemore’s fingers tightly entwined with the fingers of a tall man, his sweaty shirt open, necklace dangling and band jamming out in the background. It’s one of those photos that you know when you’re taking it, it has the possibility to be good, but this particular one is lucky.— Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

The ceiling can't hold him, but the crowd can
March 6

Word came down from on high (aka Macklemore’s social accounts) that Mac would be performing a free show that night at Neumos on Capitol Hill. A few days before, the Seattle rapper had caused a bit of a stir when he released his worldwide tour schedule, and the Emerald City was notably not on it. Fans immediately began to line up, and by 6 p.m., the line stretched three-fourths of the way around a city block, everyone hoping that the 700-person capacity club would be able to squeeze them in. I’ve often heard that Neumos is a great place to see a show. But I’m guessing what fans like about it is what makes is exceptionally hard to photograph: There are no photo “positions” — no pit, no mixing board to stand in front of. It’s just you and 700 very hot, very sweaty fans inches from the artist. I had debated about staying for the full show. I knew I had to upload photos that night for the online gallery. Should I bounce after a few songs? Or should I stay to see whether Macklemore did anything awesome for his hometown crowd? Thankfully, I opted for the latter. After the very last song of the encore, Macklemore went crowd surfing — not so much surfing as walking — and stepped off the stage onto the waiting arms of his devoted fans. For a split second, the hands were backlit by the house lights — dozens of fans reaching out to hold up their hero, Macklemore’s fingers tightly entwined with the fingers of a tall man, his sweaty shirt open, necklace dangling and band jamming out in the background. It’s one of those photos that you know when you’re taking it, it has the possibility to be good, but this particular one is lucky.— Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

29/56

Getting the nod to photograph Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star of my generation, was an honor, and something I wasn’t expecting as the summer intern. Walking through the 72,000-person crowd at Lumen Field, I couldn’t help but smile, realizing that I was about to document a historic cultural phenomenon. The crew that set up the stage recommended that photographers bring a 400 mm lens. Thankfully, I trusted my gut and ignored that recommendation, bringing a 600 mm lens that took me — and you — closer to Swift than any other photographer out there. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

One for the Eras
July 22

Getting the nod to photograph Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star of my generation, was an honor, and something I wasn’t expecting as the summer intern. Walking through the 72,000-person crowd at Lumen Field, I couldn’t help but smile, realizing that I was about to document a historic cultural phenomenon. The crew that set up the stage recommended that photographers bring a 400 mm lens. Thankfully, I trusted my gut and ignored that recommendation, bringing a 600 mm lens that took me — and you — closer to Swift than any other photographer out there. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

30/56

Real-life sports contests rarely, if ever, end the way they do in Disney movies. The Mighty Ducks don’t defeat a bigger, stronger, faster Iceland team, and there are no Angels in the Outfield. Don’t tell that to the 2023 Huskies softball team, however. They had a storybook ending for the ages, and I feel amazed to have witnessed it. Washington hadn’t scored a run in 16 innings. McNeese State had defeated the Huskies, 1-0, in their first game, forcing the nightcap in the NCAA Regional tournament. The Huskies trailed 6-0 in the second game, and had just one more inning. A single and an RBI double gave the Dawgs a run. Then a sacrifice fly. Then an error by McNeese State allowed another run to score. Dare we think about an epic comeback? Nah. There were two outs. But the Huskies loaded the bases. Sami Reynolds smashed a bases-clearing, three-run double. THE GAME WAS TIED. Then the aptly named Madison Huskey, who had scored the first run of the inning, came to the plate. Down to her last strike, Huskey doubled to center, driving in the winning run. The Huskies won, 7-6, and mobbed coach Heather Tarr, center. Never have I seen a comeback like that. It just never happens. If you’re down six runs with three outs left, you lose. That’s just how it goes. Statistically in NCAA tournament history, teams trailing by six or more runs are 5-903. Teams down six runs don’t win 99.45% of the time. Welcome to the 0.55%, Dawgs! — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Cue the Disney comeback!
May 21

Real-life sports contests rarely, if ever, end the way they do in Disney movies. The Mighty Ducks don’t defeat a bigger, stronger, faster Iceland team, and there are no Angels in the Outfield. Don’t tell that to the 2023 Huskies softball team, however. They had a storybook ending for the ages, and I feel amazed to have witnessed it. Washington hadn’t scored a run in 16 innings. McNeese State had defeated the Huskies, 1-0, in their first game, forcing the nightcap in the NCAA Regional tournament. The Huskies trailed 6-0 in the second game, and had just one more inning. A single and an RBI double gave the Dawgs a run. Then a sacrifice fly. Then an error by McNeese State allowed another run to score. Dare we think about an epic comeback? Nah. There were two outs. But the Huskies loaded the bases. Sami Reynolds smashed a bases-clearing, three-run double. THE GAME WAS TIED. Then the aptly named Madison Huskey, who had scored the first run of the inning, came to the plate. Down to her last strike, Huskey doubled to center, driving in the winning run. The Huskies won, 7-6, and mobbed coach Heather Tarr, center. Never have I seen a comeback like that. It just never happens. If you’re down six runs with three outs left, you lose. That’s just how it goes. Statistically in NCAA tournament history, teams trailing by six or more runs are 5-903. Teams down six runs don’t win 99.45% of the time. Welcome to the 0.55%, Dawgs! — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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On a pleasant New Jersey evening for a Monday Night Football game, the Seahawks beat up on the G-Men in convincing fashion, sacking the quarterback a franchise-tying 11 times. After the game, the conversation between my editors and me was not whether we should use a sack photo for the cover of the Seahawks Extra, but which sack photo we should use. Not since 1986 had the Seahawks had as many sacks in one game; it was the overwhelming theme of the night. We eventually settled on a sack photo that better utilized the square-to-vertical shape of the section front page, but used this one inside. Bobby Wagner seems to grin as he embraces Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in a giant bear hug. Jones, for his part, doesn’t appear as excited, with his eyes squeezed shut, helmet pushed back against his face. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Sack attack
October 3

On a pleasant New Jersey evening for a Monday Night Football game, the Seahawks beat up on the G-Men in convincing fashion, sacking the quarterback a franchise-tying 11 times. After the game, the conversation between my editors and me was not whether we should use a sack photo for the cover of the Seahawks Extra, but which sack photo we should use. Not since 1986 had the Seahawks had as many sacks in one game; it was the overwhelming theme of the night. We eventually settled on a sack photo that better utilized the square-to-vertical shape of the section front page, but used this one inside. Bobby Wagner seems to grin as he embraces Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in a giant bear hug. Jones, for his part, doesn’t appear as excited, with his eyes squeezed shut, helmet pushed back against his face. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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When Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs finally tackled Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua during their game in mid-November, the impact and momentum of the hit turned each player upside down, and ever so briefly, their legs mirrored each other, with the soles of their cleats pointed toward the translucent roof of SoFi Stadium as the two rolled backward. Bobby Wagner makes an unwanted appearance in this frame as a disembodied arm coming out of Diggs’ back. But nothing is perfect. Nacua would have another catch in what would become the game-winning drive for the Rams. A last-second field goal attempt by Seahawks kicker Jason Myers sailed wide right, and Seattle dropped to 0-2 against L.A. this season. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Synchronized limbing
November 19

When Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs finally tackled Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua during their game in mid-November, the impact and momentum of the hit turned each player upside down, and ever so briefly, their legs mirrored each other, with the soles of their cleats pointed toward the translucent roof of SoFi Stadium as the two rolled backward. Bobby Wagner makes an unwanted appearance in this frame as a disembodied arm coming out of Diggs’ back. But nothing is perfect. Nacua would have another catch in what would become the game-winning drive for the Rams. A last-second field goal attempt by Seahawks kicker Jason Myers sailed wide right, and Seattle dropped to 0-2 against L.A. this season. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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Arriving in Seattle as a summer intern, I didn’t know too much about the city other than it rained more than anywhere I had lived before. Combing through the archives in my first week and seeing the historic image longtime photographer Greg Gilbert had made of a lightning storm over the city inspired me to set out and make a similar shot. After scouting a perfect spot, the corner of Second Avenue and Ward Street, I just had to wait for the perfect rain. And when it came, I was ready. I made this image with a 70 mm lens at f5 and a 1/15 shutter. I used an on-camera flash to freeze the rain droplets as they fell through the night sky. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

Freezing rain (through photography)
November 21

Arriving in Seattle as a summer intern, I didn’t know too much about the city other than it rained more than anywhere I had lived before. Combing through the archives in my first week and seeing the historic image longtime photographer Greg Gilbert had made of a lightning storm over the city inspired me to set out and make a similar shot. After scouting a perfect spot, the corner of Second Avenue and Ward Street, I just had to wait for the perfect rain. And when it came, I was ready. I made this image with a 70 mm lens at f5 and a 1/15 shutter. I used an on-camera flash to freeze the rain droplets as they fell through the night sky. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

34/56

While driving home from work, I saw iron workers way up high, putting together the roof on a warehouse along East Marginal Way South. I love shooting construction. It can be so graphic. I knew I would not be allowed on the site, so I looked for a place to shoot from the street with a long lens. As I watched them work, I realized again that iron workers definitely are not afraid of heights. When completed, this building will have more than 656,000 square feet of warehouse space, more than 34,000 square feet of potential office space and almost 118,000 square feet of fleet vehicle storage. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

Graphic artistry
October 19

While driving home from work, I saw iron workers way up high, putting together the roof on a warehouse along East Marginal Way South. I love shooting construction. It can be so graphic. I knew I would not be allowed on the site, so I looked for a place to shoot from the street with a long lens. As I watched them work, I realized again that iron workers definitely are not afraid of heights. When completed, this building will have more than 656,000 square feet of warehouse space, more than 34,000 square feet of potential office space and almost 118,000 square feet of fleet vehicle storage. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

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Descending to an ear-popping depth of 12 feet, members of the Seattle Seahammers vie for a neon puck on the slanted end of the pool. Continuing the tradition of the underwater hockey club from its 1988 inception at Western Washington University, the Seahammers meet twice a week for practice. This was their last scheduled practice in Edmonds’ Yost Pool, with veteran players and newbies. “It really makes Seattle feel like home … they are like my Seattle family,” Decker Onken says. Onken, who previously was a competitive swimmer, moved to Seattle six years ago, and says he's met some of his closest friends on the team. This year, I made it a mission to become comfortable with underwater photography. I put my best flipper fin forward. I wanted to get comfortable photographing while completely submerged in the water and make sure I learned when to hold my breath, how to swim and how to get to the bottom of the pool. This experience led me to be able to swim in the Salish Sea on assignment and document underwater life. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

A pretty deep talent pool
June 28

Descending to an ear-popping depth of 12 feet, members of the Seattle Seahammers vie for a neon puck on the slanted end of the pool. Continuing the tradition of the underwater hockey club from its 1988 inception at Western Washington University, the Seahammers meet twice a week for practice. This was their last scheduled practice in Edmonds’ Yost Pool, with veteran players and newbies. “It really makes Seattle feel like home … they are like my Seattle family,” Decker Onken says. Onken, who previously was a competitive swimmer, moved to Seattle six years ago, and says he's met some of his closest friends on the team. This year, I made it a mission to become comfortable with underwater photography. I put my best flipper fin forward. I wanted to get comfortable photographing while completely submerged in the water and make sure I learned when to hold my breath, how to swim and how to get to the bottom of the pool. This experience led me to be able to swim in the Salish Sea on assignment and document underwater life. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

36/56

Going out with the Benton County Mosquito Control team in Richland and documenting its process of trapping, sorting and testing mosquitoes for potentially deadly pathogens was an experience that made my skin crawl. Capturing up to several thousand bloodsuckers at a time, the team is on the frontlines of disease tracking. My goal when I set out to make this image was to bring you into the perspective of surveillance technician Kylie Morgan as she put dead mosquito samples into vials to be tested for West Nile virus. I wanted to allow you to see the otherwise-tiny mosquitoes up close without having to strain too hard to focus on them — while making your skin crawl, like mine had. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

Insect inspection
September 7

Going out with the Benton County Mosquito Control team in Richland and documenting its process of trapping, sorting and testing mosquitoes for potentially deadly pathogens was an experience that made my skin crawl. Capturing up to several thousand bloodsuckers at a time, the team is on the frontlines of disease tracking. My goal when I set out to make this image was to bring you into the perspective of surveillance technician Kylie Morgan as she put dead mosquito samples into vials to be tested for West Nile virus. I wanted to allow you to see the otherwise-tiny mosquitoes up close without having to strain too hard to focus on them — while making your skin crawl, like mine had. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

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Gillnetters Richard Penn and his daughter Leslie Starr, from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, pick their net during opening night of the treaty commercial fishery for chinook salmon in Elliott Bay. What a night this was! After years of dismal salmon returns around the Pacific Northwest, Chinook were running hard into the nets of Muckleshoot and Suquamish fishers. While it doesn’t compare to the times before Seattle became a metropolis, it was a bright light after years of painful conservation efforts. “I was lost without fishing. I fished all my life,” Penn says of previous conservation closures of the fishery. “It’s important to feed my family and teach my kids. Just to be on the water is like medicine for us.” — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

Lots more fish in the sea
August 9

Gillnetters Richard Penn and his daughter Leslie Starr, from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, pick their net during opening night of the treaty commercial fishery for chinook salmon in Elliott Bay. What a night this was! After years of dismal salmon returns around the Pacific Northwest, Chinook were running hard into the nets of Muckleshoot and Suquamish fishers. While it doesn’t compare to the times before Seattle became a metropolis, it was a bright light after years of painful conservation efforts. “I was lost without fishing. I fished all my life,” Penn says of previous conservation closures of the fishery. “It’s important to feed my family and teach my kids. Just to be on the water is like medicine for us.” — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

38/56

Kenzie Cormier, who works for Muckleshoot Seafood Products, tosses a chinook salmon from an iced fish hold on a drift boat during delivery at Stanley Moses Landing in Seattle. It was a very long night. The annual treaty commercial fishery occurs from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., one tide only, and boats started bringing in their catch during the very early hours. We got only a couple hours sleep because, as someone once told me, “Salmon wait for no one.” — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

Time, tide and salmon wait for no one
August 10

Kenzie Cormier, who works for Muckleshoot Seafood Products, tosses a chinook salmon from an iced fish hold on a drift boat during delivery at Stanley Moses Landing in Seattle. It was a very long night. The annual treaty commercial fishery occurs from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., one tide only, and boats started bringing in their catch during the very early hours. We got only a couple hours sleep because, as someone once told me, “Salmon wait for no one.” — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

39/56

No animal is more interesting to me than salmon; they hold such an integral part of Pacific Northwest culture, heritage and history. With an underwater camera setup, I was able to put my hands into a pool of juvenile coho salmon at the Wallace River Hatchery and hope the picture would be interesting. To my surprise, it looked like a whole new world under the water, with what seems like thousands of fish swimming around. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

Deep into the action
June 13

No animal is more interesting to me than salmon; they hold such an integral part of Pacific Northwest culture, heritage and history. With an underwater camera setup, I was able to put my hands into a pool of juvenile coho salmon at the Wallace River Hatchery and hope the picture would be interesting. To my surprise, it looked like a whole new world under the water, with what seems like thousands of fish swimming around. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

40/56

Boaters tie up in the large lock at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, also known as the Ballard Locks, during Seafair weekend in Seattle. During Seafair, from Aug. 3-7, 1,158 vessels went through the Locks, 1,021 of which were recreational vessels. It's the ultimate traffic jam, Seattle-style. Just like on the freeway, there are all levels of drivers — some who start the party early, others who just don’t have the patience for this — but all of them are guided by lock and dam operators whose composure and skill make this real-time game of Tetris a wonder to photograph. — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

Everyone's ship has come in
August 4

Boaters tie up in the large lock at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, also known as the Ballard Locks, during Seafair weekend in Seattle. During Seafair, from Aug. 3-7, 1,158 vessels went through the Locks, 1,021 of which were recreational vessels. It's the ultimate traffic jam, Seattle-style. Just like on the freeway, there are all levels of drivers — some who start the party early, others who just don’t have the patience for this — but all of them are guided by lock and dam operators whose composure and skill make this real-time game of Tetris a wonder to photograph. — Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times

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Rams Harry and Buddy are illuminated during sunrise at Skagit Valley's Harmony Fields, owned by Jessica Gigot — a poet, sheep farmer, soil scientist and songwriter — and her husband, Dean Luce. They are part of a growing trend of small, environmentally conscious farming outside the world of Big Ag and Big Food. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Deep sheep
May 28

Rams Harry and Buddy are illuminated during sunrise at Skagit Valley's Harmony Fields, owned by Jessica Gigot — a poet, sheep farmer, soil scientist and songwriter — and her husband, Dean Luce. They are part of a growing trend of small, environmentally conscious farming outside the world of Big Ag and Big Food. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

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I had spent hours inside the Boeing Everett plant photographing the final 747 being built. But what makes an aircraft amazing? The fact that it can fly! My editors and I knew, despite all my photos from inside the factory, what we needed was the very last 747 flying. I was watching it come in for a landing from the roof deck at the Future of Flight Aviation Center. But there was north flow at Paine Field (aircraft landing toward the north), and the vantage point I had was at the opposite end of the airport, meaning my photos of the last 747 landing were from very far away. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, local plane spotter, photographer and all-around super-nice dude, also was there photographing the aircraft. I told him my photos were pretty bad, because the aircraft had landed at the far end of the airport. We soon were on our way to a different vantage point at the far south end of the runway. Now we just had to wait for the 747 to come back. The early January afternoon was quickly transitioning to night when she finally landed. There was just enough light to freeze any motion and to turn the sky a vivid shade of purple: the very last 747 landing in the very last light of a winter day. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

A symbolic sunset
January 10

I had spent hours inside the Boeing Everett plant photographing the final 747 being built. But what makes an aircraft amazing? The fact that it can fly! My editors and I knew, despite all my photos from inside the factory, what we needed was the very last 747 flying. I was watching it come in for a landing from the roof deck at the Future of Flight Aviation Center. But there was north flow at Paine Field (aircraft landing toward the north), and the vantage point I had was at the opposite end of the airport, meaning my photos of the last 747 landing were from very far away. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, local plane spotter, photographer and all-around super-nice dude, also was there photographing the aircraft. I told him my photos were pretty bad, because the aircraft had landed at the far end of the airport. We soon were on our way to a different vantage point at the far south end of the runway. Now we just had to wait for the 747 to come back. The early January afternoon was quickly transitioning to night when she finally landed. There was just enough light to freeze any motion and to turn the sky a vivid shade of purple: the very last 747 landing in the very last light of a winter day. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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I thought it was funny, looking at the shadow of the construction worker on the tunnel-boring machine below, because it looked as if he was just waving. He actually is using a cable to move a pump to clean muck at the front of the machine, named MudHoney. After 22 months, a 2.7-mile-long, almost 19-foot-diameter tunnel from Ballard to Wallingford was finished. The tunnel will store up to 30 million gallons of untreated water and stormwater during heavy rains. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

Hi! I'm boring — a tunnel!
June 26

I thought it was funny, looking at the shadow of the construction worker on the tunnel-boring machine below, because it looked as if he was just waving. He actually is using a cable to move a pump to clean muck at the front of the machine, named MudHoney. After 22 months, a 2.7-mile-long, almost 19-foot-diameter tunnel from Ballard to Wallingford was finished. The tunnel will store up to 30 million gallons of untreated water and stormwater during heavy rains. — Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times

44/56

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are crazy. A Cup-winning team can play as many as 28 extra games! Hockey is a very interesting sport to shoot. The best photos come from ice level. Photographers are assigned what we call “ice holes,” which are portholes cut in the glass that are just big enough to put a lens through. Because of their size, most of the holes provide an angle only of the net nearest your ice hole, making them a gamble to shoot from. The best option is to have photographers on both sides, or to be elevated. In the Kraken’s very first Game 7, fellow photographer and legend Dean Rutz and I traveled to Denver to do just that. I took the elevated position, and Dean took the ice hole. Together, we were able to document a historical first: The second-year Kraken beat the defending Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche in Game 7, 2-1. The Kraken advanced to the second round, where they also took the Dallas Stars to seven games, but lost 2-1 that night. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

Release the celebration!
April 30

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are crazy. A Cup-winning team can play as many as 28 extra games! Hockey is a very interesting sport to shoot. The best photos come from ice level. Photographers are assigned what we call “ice holes,” which are portholes cut in the glass that are just big enough to put a lens through. Because of their size, most of the holes provide an angle only of the net nearest your ice hole, making them a gamble to shoot from. The best option is to have photographers on both sides, or to be elevated. In the Kraken’s very first Game 7, fellow photographer and legend Dean Rutz and I traveled to Denver to do just that. I took the elevated position, and Dean took the ice hole. Together, we were able to document a historical first: The second-year Kraken beat the defending Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche in Game 7, 2-1. The Kraken advanced to the second round, where they also took the Dallas Stars to seven games, but lost 2-1 that night. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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Tatiana Valeeva, of the Victoria Clipper, center, participates in a North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association Vessel Safety Program at Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle. She and the others are wearing Neoprene immersion suits designed to keep a person’s body warm for hours and to keep them afloat. The Coast Guard-approved courses teach safety and emergency preparedness to crews across the maritime industry, including shipyard workers and crews on commercial fishing boats, on research and passenger vessels, and on other work boats. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Safety in numbers
March 9

Tatiana Valeeva, of the Victoria Clipper, center, participates in a North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association Vessel Safety Program at Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle. She and the others are wearing Neoprene immersion suits designed to keep a person’s body warm for hours and to keep them afloat. The Coast Guard-approved courses teach safety and emergency preparedness to crews across the maritime industry, including shipyard workers and crews on commercial fishing boats, on research and passenger vessels, and on other work boats. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

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In Seattle, we know former Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez as King Felix. Never was he so kingly as when he sat upon a red upholstered throne during his Mariners Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The King was joined by other members of the Mariners HOF, including Ken Griffey Jr. Felix tried to hold back tears during the ceremony, but often they ran freely down his face; such was the emotion of the event for him. For Junior, the emotion of the moment would have to wait for a selfie. After all, it’s not every day a Kid can take a photo with a King. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

The King and the Kid
August 12

In Seattle, we know former Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez as King Felix. Never was he so kingly as when he sat upon a red upholstered throne during his Mariners Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The King was joined by other members of the Mariners HOF, including Ken Griffey Jr. Felix tried to hold back tears during the ceremony, but often they ran freely down his face; such was the emotion of the event for him. For Junior, the emotion of the moment would have to wait for a selfie. After all, it’s not every day a Kid can take a photo with a King. — Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times

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Emily Friedl, of Issaquah, honors her ancestors at a kickoff event for the Seattle Catrinas Festival at Westlake Park, which celebrates the Day of the Dead. While briefly interviewing Friedl, I could not help but be moved as she listed the departed she was honoring, including her ex-husband. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

A day to remember
October 1

Emily Friedl, of Issaquah, honors her ancestors at a kickoff event for the Seattle Catrinas Festival at Westlake Park, which celebrates the Day of the Dead. While briefly interviewing Friedl, I could not help but be moved as she listed the departed she was honoring, including her ex-husband. — Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times

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Flying a drone over the Quad is a stressful experience. Visitors from all over the world come to Seattle to visit the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington; with the visitors comes a large number of hobby photographers. Just to get this image, I had to make sure that I was dodging several other drones that were getting aerials of this beautiful architecture and nature. Overall, I tried to keep my flight short and make sure I was in view of my drone so I could keep it out of harm's way. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

A lesson in drone-dodging
April 4

Flying a drone over the Quad is a stressful experience. Visitors from all over the world come to Seattle to visit the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington; with the visitors comes a large number of hobby photographers. Just to get this image, I had to make sure that I was dodging several other drones that were getting aerials of this beautiful architecture and nature. Overall, I tried to keep my flight short and make sure I was in view of my drone so I could keep it out of harm's way. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

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Natalie Smith is an Israeli American who lives in Seattle and grew up in Israel. Her uncle and aunt were among those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. Upon meeting Smith, I instantly knew I had a heightened responsibility to make a portrait that represented her resilience among her distress and grief. I am grateful that she had the courage to share her story with me, and I worked hard with her to photograph her in a dignified way that shed light on the emotional toll the war is having on her and her family. Looking back at the thousands of photos I have made this year, this one stands above the rest. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

Courage through grief
November 3

Natalie Smith is an Israeli American who lives in Seattle and grew up in Israel. Her uncle and aunt were among those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. Upon meeting Smith, I instantly knew I had a heightened responsibility to make a portrait that represented her resilience among her distress and grief. I am grateful that she had the courage to share her story with me, and I worked hard with her to photograph her in a dignified way that shed light on the emotional toll the war is having on her and her family. Looking back at the thousands of photos I have made this year, this one stands above the rest. — Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times

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Wheeled by his son Chance Easterly, David Easterly, a 25-year veteran of the King County Sheriff's Office, is saluted as he leaves Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Officers, first responders, doctors, nurses, and family and friends came to support Easterly as he finally was able to go home after being shot in the line of duty. People had milled around awaiting the moment when their colleague would be released. In the narrow tunnel under Ninth Avenue, emotions ran high as hugs were exchanged, hands were shaken, shoulders were gripped and a salute was given. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

Recovery and respect
May 15

Wheeled by his son Chance Easterly, David Easterly, a 25-year veteran of the King County Sheriff's Office, is saluted as he leaves Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Officers, first responders, doctors, nurses, and family and friends came to support Easterly as he finally was able to go home after being shot in the line of duty. People had milled around awaiting the moment when their colleague would be released. In the narrow tunnel under Ninth Avenue, emotions ran high as hugs were exchanged, hands were shaken, shoulders were gripped and a salute was given. — Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times

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Michi Hirata North, 91, is reflected on a historical picture of her debut performance with the NHK Symphony Orchestra when she was 9 years old. When interviewing Michi, it was incredible to listen to her stories and about her amazing career as a concert pianist. As a musician myself, I think having a long career is such a life accomplishment. With this in mind, I saw a few photos and came up with an idea of reflecting her image off the glass of her debut frame. With a flash, I was able to get her face illuminated and juxtapose her 9-year-old image with what she looks like today. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

Reflections on a musical career
April 16

Michi Hirata North, 91, is reflected on a historical picture of her debut performance with the NHK Symphony Orchestra when she was 9 years old. When interviewing Michi, it was incredible to listen to her stories and about her amazing career as a concert pianist. As a musician myself, I think having a long career is such a life accomplishment. With this in mind, I saw a few photos and came up with an idea of reflecting her image off the glass of her debut frame. With a flash, I was able to get her face illuminated and juxtapose her 9-year-old image with what she looks like today. — Daniel Kim / The Seattle Times

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Alexis Young hugs her daughter Jasmine “Jazz” Young, who is going into second grade, during the first day of school at West Seattle Elementary. “She loves school,” Alexis Young says about her daughter. Before classes commenced, Seattle Public Schools held a celebration to welcome students into the newly remodeled building. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

Many happy returns
September 6

Alexis Young hugs her daughter Jasmine “Jazz” Young, who is going into second grade, during the first day of school at West Seattle Elementary. “She loves school,” Alexis Young says about her daughter. Before classes commenced, Seattle Public Schools held a celebration to welcome students into the newly remodeled building. — Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times

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There are few things that inspire photographers more than a great sunset. As you drive through the city — or in this case, on my way home — you might see one. In this case, my head is turned to the left to take in the sight. And sometimes as I’m driving, I cross the intersection of light and moment, and that’s how this photograph came to be. While taking in the summer sunset, I came across a gentleman named Pat McGinley, who is well known for bringing his giant bubble-making creation to public places and letting random people immerse themselves in the childlike joy of doing something so simple and pure that it left me, and everyone around me, with a smile on their face. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

Summer sun, bubble fun
July 21

There are few things that inspire photographers more than a great sunset. As you drive through the city — or in this case, on my way home — you might see one. In this case, my head is turned to the left to take in the sight. And sometimes as I’m driving, I cross the intersection of light and moment, and that’s how this photograph came to be. While taking in the summer sunset, I came across a gentleman named Pat McGinley, who is well known for bringing his giant bubble-making creation to public places and letting random people immerse themselves in the childlike joy of doing something so simple and pure that it left me, and everyone around me, with a smile on their face. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

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Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez is what baseball needs. He's certainly what Seattle baseball fans need. His infectious smile and joy for the game elevated the Summer Classic’s Home Run Derby into a frenzy as he made that competition special with his 41 home runs in the first round. It was uniquely personal for the hometown fans in attendance. As he turned away from me after crushing the last pitch, the crowd let out a tremendous ovation that cemented Julio’s name into Seattle sports lore, along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez before him. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

Yep. That one's gone, too.
July 10

Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez is what baseball needs. He's certainly what Seattle baseball fans need. His infectious smile and joy for the game elevated the Summer Classic’s Home Run Derby into a frenzy as he made that competition special with his 41 home runs in the first round. It was uniquely personal for the hometown fans in attendance. As he turned away from me after crushing the last pitch, the crowd let out a tremendous ovation that cemented Julio’s name into Seattle sports lore, along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez before him. — Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times

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