Seattle—A Gem of a City

SEATTLE—A GEM OF A CITY

Seattle, known as the Emerald City, is a gem. It is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. It is nestled along the shores of Puget Sound and Lake Washington on the western side of Washington State. Seattle has a beautiful, vibrant downtown, scores of parks and beaches, views of the most amazing scenery, including Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountain Range, and the Cascade Mountain Range with Mount Rainier. Lake Union and Green Lake are the largest lakes within the city. Having beautiful late springs, summers, and falls, this is an area of wonderful gardens. The Seattle Center, the Symphony Hall, Pike’s Place Farmers’ Market, the sports arenas, a myriad of excellent restaurants, the public library system, and ferry-boat rides are just a few of the many features awaiting both local folk and visitors.

I was born and raised in Seattle when Seattle was a much smaller city—in the days when it was quite isolated and few people moved here from other parts of the country. Much has changed since my earliest memories, but its beauty and vibrancy are still part of its core. I will continue to love this city, as it’s still a part of my soul. Because I have not photographed Seattle in many years, in 2010 I decided to take a photography workshop with Bryan Peterson, one of my favorite photographers. It was a great experience seeing my favorite city behind the lens of my camera. Bryan kept us shooting from morning until night. This gallery is made up of a couple of handfuls of images that I shot during this long August weekend. You will notice that these images are primarily of the downtown area and the SoDo District—no gardens or basic scenery. That shoot will come at a later date. I hope you enjoy this group of images. Let me know which is your favorite. Joen