Artist, photographer Ed King captures moments

At one time, photographer Ed King may have been considered an oddity to some.

“I remember painting and drawing as a kid. They put me on television for it because I was left-handed. They really focused on my left hand, drawing for the camera,” he said.

He carved a path for himself with purpose and determination. He had good role models. His mother was one of the first black representatives to the Washington Legislature and his aunt, Maxine Haynes, was one of the first black nurses at Seattle Providence Hospital, though she had to travel to New York to get her degree.

King, 61, grew up in Seattle. “I went to a lot of art shows as a kid,” he said, “Art and music were valuable in our home.” King, who was short, didn’t play traditional sports. He was a swimmer and a diver. “I had to develop my other strengths, like the arts and skiing.”

King began skiing when he was 11 and was hooked. He enjoyed swooshing down the mountain, and he made it his goal to become the first black ski instructor at Sun Valley which, after years of hard work and involvement, finally became a reality in 1998.

He was unwavering on his decisions to become a ski instructor and an artist.

King recalled how his high school pottery teacher, Mr. Iverson, took an interest in him. “I spent hours after school doing pottery. Sometimes I even locked up the school.”

Creating art is a solitary craft. The creator has to focus and reflect on the task at hand, looking within. “To be well-rounded in the arts is important for overall wellness,” King said, “Nowadays, kids don’t see the world, just a screen in front of them.”

King graduated from Evergreen State College with a degree in recreational planning and administration and a minor in art. He continued to ski while he served as associate director of recreation at Evergreen. There he was involved in ski programs at Crystal Mountain, and opened the college art facilities to the community.

King became involved in the area arts community including organizing artists for Bumbershoot in Seattle. That was the early 1970s. It was around the same time he picked up a camera.

He chose photography as his art form because it captures a moment in time. He specializes in landscape photography, stopping time for Hawaiian gardens, majestic mountains and the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. He freezes moments off paths that not everyone is lucky enough to travel. He is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and has studied under well-known photographers. He has shown his work in Sun Valley and Olympia and has gone on assignment for the CIRI Corp. and the Corum Group. He also created photo mugs for “Wagon Days” in Sun Valley, a celebration that has been going on for 50 years in the area but was canceled this year due to fires.

King and his wife Eleanor moved to Spokane Valley a few years ago. He shows his photographs at Art, Music and More in Spokane Valley Mall. He prints his work on high quality archival canvas so the moment in time will last many lifetimes.