Photography

Photographer portfolio: Ellen M. Banner

Originally published February 13, 2015 at 9:41 pm Updated February 19, 2015 at 8:25 pm

A plane out of SeaTac International Airport flies in front of the full moon Tuesday night, Sept. 16, 2008. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Looking a little like the tendons of heart valves, Pacific Science Center’s arches bask in red light, with the Space Needle in the background, to mark the American Heart Association’s “National Wear Red Day,” Feb 2, 2012. People and places were decked out in red Friday to raise awareness that heart disease is not just a man’s disease, it’s the leading killer of women–more than all forms of cancer combined. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

A Sound Transit light-rail train heads over the Duwamish River in Tukwila during a recent training session, May 14, 2009. After the initial line from downtown to Tukwila opens this summer, service to Sea-Tac airport is expected at year’s end. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Patrick O’Dowd calls it ‘life on the hills of Seattle’ as he mows his lawn in the Lakewood area of Seattle, May 16, 1999. O’Dowd got the idea from the folks he purchased his home from — 14 years ago. They told him to mow with a rope, and he’s been doing it ever since. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

While waiting for their turn to audition for the Nutcracker, a few boys spent part of the time making faces as they stared into a mirror. Kids at center, left to right, are: Sebastian Fanucchi, 10, of West Seattle; William Dougherty, 9, of Kent (#70) and Logan Dopps, 9, from Lake Forest Park. Ballet dancers, ages 8 – 10, auditioned for one of the much-coveted roles in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker at the Phelps Center at Seattle Center Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

A shopper in downtown Seattle checks out swimsuits in a Nordstrom window, June 10, 2008. Such attire hasn’t been advisable here for at least a couple of weeks. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

A diver at Seattle’s Madrona Park on Lake Washington plunges from the realm of air into the world of water below, July 31, 2002. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Spring: April showers target Seattle The sixth-soggiest March on record melted into a sloppy April, which oozed into a chilly May, April 13, 2011. The daffodils and tulips emerged late, and we didn’t reach 70 degrees until May 20. This scene of a downpour in downtown Seattle was captured in mid-April — a week after snow and hail fell in the lowlands — from Bellevue’s hilly Somerset neighborhood. That’s Interstate 90 at the bottom. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

A plane lands at SeaTac International Airport early Tuesday afternoon in yet another day of heavy fog, Jan. 22, 2013. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

President Obama high-fives a girl in the crowd at Boeing Field shortly after arriving Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011. He attended fundraisers at a posh Medina estate and with a larger crowd inside the Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Kadhimia Shuhel, originally from Iraq, was one of the most enthusiastic of all the applicants to become a United States citizen Sunday. The Ethnic Heritage Council hosted the 26th Annual Naturalization Ceremony at Seattle Center. 514 prospective new U.S. citizens from 84 nations were sworn in by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Richard C. Tallman. The most represented nation of origin is India, with 48 people, followed by the Philippines, with 44. Speakers included Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the Total Experience Gospel Choir. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Elaine Briant breaks down while listening to her son Ethan, 12, read a Harry Potter book to her daughter MacKensie, 8, in the yard of their Snoqualmie home. Elaine was listening and looking at MacKensie and a few tears fell. Ethan ran over to comfort his mom when he saw how sad she was. Elaine tries to be very strong but sometimes it’s very hard. She said that when she took MacKensie to first grade orientation, she realized her daughter would probably never even be able to write her own name. MacKensie was brain damaged from a screw up in communication between doctors at Seattle Children’s. The doctors miscommunicated and mom gave little MacKensie, then 4, a drug that caused her to suffer brain damage. Born with a heart defect, she had had a transplant, and everything was good until she caught a cold. Mom, super careful, called Children’s. Cardiologist asked transplant doc, transplant doc offered a bunch of options ‘ said do not give her Afrin (nose spray) because it could raise her blood pressure dangerously. Cardiologist mistakenly told mom to give her Afrin, MacKensie coded and had brain damage. A bench verdict for $15 million came that Friday. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

One protestor is treated by a medic after being pepper sprayed by police officers when protestors blocked Klickitat Ave SW and tried to prevent cars and trucks from entering the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 18 late Monday afternoon. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will perform a free show on Friday at Neumos. (Ellen M Banner / The Seattle Times)

Part of the Seattle skyline and the Space Needle can be seen through the fog Monday morning, shot from Harbor Ave. SW in West Seattle. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

As the Seattle Prep Panthers gather to talk, Cleveland Eagles players at left celebrate their victory, at the Tacoma Dome in the finals of the Hardwood Classic state basketball tournament in Tacoma, Wash., Saturday, March 2, 2013. At left is Donniesha Webber (4), Alexia Mefi (23) and Joyce Harrell (33). (Ellen M Banner / The Seattle Times)

Four couple kiss aboard the MV Skansonia ferry after marrying Sunday afternoon. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Students learns dance steps to a dance they will be performing with other high school students at the 5th Avenue Theater Monday night as part of the 10th Annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Under cloudy skies, the Space Needle is viewed through a sculpture near the Experience Music Project on the Seattle Center grounds. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Cristian Roldan is the UW’s freshman midfielder who leads the team in scoring after being named last year’s Gatorade National Player of the Year. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Collin Huggins flies over Eddie Baker as he skimboards at Alki, June 14, 2010. The two and a couple of other friends are all students at UW, and were out enjoying the sunshine Monday afternoon. Huggins is originally from Mukilteo and has been skimboarding for about three years. Monday’s -3.4 foot low tide around 1 p.m. created several tide pools, which were perfect for skimboarding at Alki Beach near Luna Park in West Seattle. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Lakeside Lions’ Connor Haney (23) gets blocked as he goes towards the basket, at the Tacoma Dome in the semi-finals of the Hardwood Classic state basketball tournament in TacomaMarch 1, 2013. Lincoln Abes’ Jusstis Warren (24),left and Joshua Eckwood (21) at right. (Ellen M Banner / The Seattle Times)

Seven-year-old break dancer Jalen Testerman does a one-hand hand stand at his home in Des Moines. Jalen has been dancing since he was three, has been on the Ellen Degeneres show twice, Oprah show once, and has out break danced many other dancers three times his age in competitions, which are called battles. Jalen was lit with two strobes and a long shutter speed. The yellow light was caused by the strobe at left (out of photo) and the movement of the camera, which made the light look blurred. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Neon ladies at the final dress rehearsal of The Magic Flute at McCaw Hall in Seattle, May 4, 2011. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

As fog rises off the lake, fishermen try their luck at Angle Lake in Seatac, Wash. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Fireworks shot off the Space Needle in Seattle bring in the new year at midnight on January 1, 2012. The scene was shot from the Magnolia Bridge in Seattle — many people walked from their homes to watch the fireworks from Ursula Judkins Viewpoint nearby. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

After capturing an insect that flew into its web, a spider heads back with its prey to the center of its web at Kubota Gardens in Seattle Monday afternoon. The garden is open to the public, free of charge, every day during daylight hours. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

The sun breaks through the clouds and shines down on the Seattle skyline as fishermen and strollers at Seacrest Park enjoy the view as the last day of 2002 came to an end. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Shannon Wong reacts during a springtime softball practice when the flood gates opened up and she realized practice would be cancelled for the day. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

Despite the rain, Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle still had a lot of die-hard visitors who came to check out the animals and exhibits. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

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Ellen M. Banner started working at The Seattle Times in 1997, her fifth newspaper. As a photographer, we make a living seeing, sharing and learning about others. It's been a great ride. Ellen can't imagine having a better job.

Ellen M. Banner started working at The Seattle Times in 1997, her fifth newspaper. As a photographer, we make a living seeing, sharing and learning about others. It’s been a great ride. Ellen can’t imagine having a better job.

Follow Ellen on Twitter @ellenbanner or send her an email at ebanner@seattletimes.com.

Ellen Banner

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