Ella Putney Carlson is a photographic artist, illustrator and educator. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in visual art from the New Hampshire Institute of Art. She has also earned the professional photography degrees of Master Photographer, Master Artist, Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer from the Professional Photographers of America, and the Fellowship Degree and Educational Associate Degree from the American Society of Photographers. She won the 2019 Grand Imaging Award (the top prize in Professional Photographers of America international image competition) for her album "Most Wanted" and won another GIA in the Illustrative category in 2020. She has earned multiple Kodak Gallery Awards, Fuji Masterpiece Awards and Courts of Honor awards. She has been a PPA Diamond Photographer of the Year for the past 5 years.

Carlson's work has been exhibited in a number of museums and galleries including: Danforth Museum, DeCordova Museum, the Wren Gallery, American Society of Photographers exhibit, Artistree Gallery, the Vermont Center for Photography, the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Professional Photographers of American International Exhibit, the Cove Gallery, and the Lowell Arts League Gallery. Her work has been published several times in Professional Photographers magazine and the PPA Loan Books and General Showcase books. Her book, "Fine Art Photoshop" will be published in early 2017. She has another book coming out in late 2023.

She has been teaching at the University of Mass, Lowell, since 1999. In addition, she teaches workshops in Photoshop and Corel Painter® for state and regional professional photography groups. She has also taught at New Hampshire Institute of Art, Middlesex Community College, and DeCordova Museum. Carlson has served on the board of the American Society of Photographers for several years and is currently the President.