David Valdez, Professional photographer for 49 years. Personal Photographer for President of the United States, Managed Disney Photography, Federal Government Photographer

Texas Governor Greg Abbott campaigns in Georgetown,Texas

10/30/2018

Greg Abbott, the 48th Governor of Texas, continues building on his record of strong, conservative leadership. Previously the longest-serving Attorney General in Texas history and a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court, Governor Abbott has long defended the constitutional principles on which this state and our nation were founded.
Oct 30,2018 Governor Abbott campaigned for reelection in Georgetown,Texas at the Mesquite Creek Outfitters (known as Georgetown's living room).

0 Comments

Formula 1 Race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin,Texas

10/29/2018

0 Comments

Kimi-Matias Räikkönen, nicknamed "Iceman", is a Finnish racing driver currently driving in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He won the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, in his first season at Ferrari, he won at the Formula 1 Race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin,Texas. I was there photographing for SRE Promotions out of Austin. The event was three days long, the first 2 days rained but on race day it was a beautiful Texas day. I had to get credentialed through Formula 1 which wasn't too hard but they do need your editor to put in the request.
I used 2 Nikon cameras a Nikon D750 and a Nikon D810. My primary lens for the race was the Nikon 200-500 for around the pits I used the Nikon 28-300. I used the media center as a home base where I did my downloading and editing on a MacBook Air.This was actually the first time I used the MacBook Air on an assignment since it was new. It did great and was very happy with the speed that I defiantly needed since there was a lot of fast action going on.

0 Comments

David Valdez speaking about his White House photography Oct 7 in Georgetown,Texas

10/2/2018

0 Comments

Oct 7,2018 at 5 pm at the Grace Bible Church in Georgetown,Texas I will be showing some of my White House photos of President George H.W. Bush during the time I was his White House photographer.
This event is free and open to the public. Hope y'all can make it out.

0 Comments

David Valdez hosts photowalksatx

10/1/2018

0 Comments

White House Photographers and the Presidents they covered.

10/1/2018

0 Comments

I had a great time with Eric Draper, President George W. Bush's photographer and Sharon Farmer, President Clinton's photograer at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University. We shared photos and stories about our time as Presidential Photographers. Our host Ken Walsh from U.S. News and World Report who is the author of the " Ultimate Insiders" about photographers who cover the White House, talked about news photographers and a few of the Presidential photographers who also worked at the White House.

0 Comments

The Vantage Point: White House Photograherson the Presidents They Served

8/21/2018

1 Comment

Georgetown,Texas Photography Festival

8/17/2018

6 Comments

I decided to host the first ever Georgetown,Texas Photography Festival March 16,2019. I am working with friend and Georgetown Photographer Todd White, Mickie Ross, Executive Director of the Williamson Museum and Christine Tomaszewski. Together we are planning what we hope to be an annual event in Georgetown,Texas.
It's a little early to confirm the photographers who have been invited to showcase their work but but I have a tentative confirmation from, Earl Nottingham, Chief Photographer for Texas Parks and Wildlife, Harrison Funk, Michael Jackson's photographer, Jay Janner, The Austin American Statesman, Carol Hutchison photographer and co-author of the new book "Behind the Texas Badge". There will be more names announced and confirmed as we move forward with our plans. I am excited to have this opportunity to host the first annual Georgetown,Texas Photography Festival. Stay tuned.
The logo was designed by Sarah Blankenship Arts and Culture Coordinator for the city of Georgetown. Thanks Sarah
Your welcome to visit our Instagram page.

6 Comments

My first day in Kennebunkport,Maine

8/17/2018

0 Comments

On my first visit to Kennebunkport,Maine Vice President Bush gave me a tour of his home at Walkers Point. As we got down to the dock where he kept his boat Fidelity he told me when he was a little boy he used to go swimming there. He suggested he and I should do that. Being from South Texas and looking at the Atlantic Ocean I hesitated plus I was dressed and had my cameras. He insisted. He said he had extra swim suits in the House, so off we went to both put on swim suits. Once we got back to the dock, he said on the count of 3 we would both jump into the water. One,two, three I jump in and he walks back to the house.

0 Comments

"Through Their Eyes-The Presidential Photographers"

7/18/2018

1 Comment

About a year ago I attended a preview of a documentary film at the Bush Presidential Library in College Station,Texas, about Viet Nam Veterans. After the viewing I met the director of the documentary Don Smith of KWTX-CBS out of Waco,Texas. He was very interested in doing his next documentary film on me because I was a Presidential Photographer. I suggested since in the history of the United States there have only been 10 named Presidential Photographers that he do his documentary on all of the Presidential Photographers. Well he decided on the spot to do that and for the past year Don has been interviewing the living Presidential Photographers.
The first Presidential Photographer was Yoichi Okamoto for President Lyndon Johnson. As most people recall the photo of President Johnson being sworn in after the assignation of President John Kennedy was taken by Cecial Stoughton. Cecial was a military photographer. Yoichi was the first civilian photographer directly assigned to photograph the President of the United States. The other Presidential Photographers include Ollie Atkins for President Nixon, David Hume Kennerly for President Ford, Michael Evans for President Reagan, myself, David Valdez for President George H.W. Bush, Robert McNelly and Sharon Farmer for President Clinton, Eric Draper for President George W. Bush, Pete Souza for President Obama and Shealah Craighead with President Trump.
The documentary "Through Their Eyes-The Presidential Photographers" will feature all the living Presidential Photographers where you will see and hear their personal stories. The film is due out early 2019. See the trailer on YouTube.

1 Comment

Down East-The Magazine of Maine

6/8/2018

1 Comment

Don Winslow the former Executive Editor of News Photographer Magazine wrote an article for Down East Magazine about the passing of Former First Lady Barbara Bush. One of my archived White House photos was used as the lead photo in the article.