Former news anchor displays photography at Caffé Ladro

Dan Lewis discovers new passion for photography in his retirement.

By Madison Miller • August 3, 2019 1:30 am

Upon retirement, many look forward to traveling, spending time with loved ones and exploring new hobbies.

Dan Lewis, former KOMO news anchor of 27 years, was no exception. However, Lewis was unsure of what to do with his newly free schedule.

Lewis credits his longtime co-anchor Kathi Goertzen with inspiring him to take an interest in hiking and snowshoeing, among other outdoor activities.

“I remember she would always ask me what I did on the weekend,” he said. “When I would return the question, she’d always talk about going hiking and skiing and snowshoeing and all these things. I always would sort of roll my eyes a bit.”

When Lewis retired in May 2014, he said Goertzen’s ambitious nature wore off on him.

“She directed me to the mountains,” he said. “I came to love hiking and snowshoeing.”

On his outdoor excursions, he said he started taking pictures of the beauty around him. Over time, and with more pictures he took, pictures became a state of mind.

“I started to see everything in pictures,” he said. “I started seeing things in 8-inch by 10-inch frames.”

For Lewis, he said he spent his career reporting about what was happening in the world and now he continues to capture moments of the world with his camera.

“I lived and breathed news for 47 years,” he said, “Now I can free my mind from the constant barrage of the news to capture the beauty of the world.”

Since his retirement, he has traveled across the country and beyond with his camera — capturing moments of the world one photo at a time.

“I haven’t been bored since retirement,” he said. “I feel really lucky to have the time, the health, the freedom to do this.”

Lewis frequents his local coffee shop, Caffé Ladro in Issaquah. He noticed the walls were adorned with pictures by local artists. On a whim, he approached the manager, Sara Refsland, about having his photos put on display. Within a month, more than 40 framed photos of Lewis’ were on the wall.

“We like featuring local artists,” Refsland said. “We do a three-month rotation. People are really excited about his photos and the fact that they are his photos.”

Lewis said it means a lot to him to have his pictures on display. The photos are for sale, but he said that’s not why he did it.

“I don’t really care if they sell,” he said. “It’s just cool to be able to share them with people. I take pride in capturing beauty and the way I see it — seeing things people often see but giving them a new way to see it.”

His photos can be viewed (or purchased) for the rest of the summer at Caffé Ladro. To see more of his work, go online to his Etsy page (www.etsy.com/shop/DanLewisPhotos).