Bellingham photographer Tore Ofteness honored for his aerial images

It was a cold day with scattered clouds in November 1994 when Tore Ofteness went aloft and shot one of the most memorable photographs of Bellingham.

He was riding in a small plane about 5,000 feet above Lummi Island when he pointed his camera toward Bellingham. Behind the city, beyond the north end of Lake Whatcom, rose the foothills with a fresh dusting of snow, and then Mount Baker, reigning over the scene in white-capped majesty.

"People have told me they moved here after seeing that photo," Ofteness said.