FREE to TPPA Members
Start Date
02/26/2025
Start Time
7:00 PM
End Date
02/26/2025
End Time
8:30 PMWhite House Photography
In the history of the United States on 13 people have been the Official Photographer for the President of the United States. David Valdez is number 5 of that group. David will tell the story of how he became the Official Photographer for President George H.W. Bush.
He will detail how a White House photographer works, his relationship with The President of the United States. What it was like on a daily basis working in the White House and traveling to 75 countries and all 50 states. What the procedures were managing The White House Photo Office. What happens to all of the images and how they are managed by the United States Archives at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library.
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David will cover:
- Behind the scenes in this unique photography job
- Learn about archiving photos
- How to deal with other photographers
- How to be invisible as a photographer
- How to share opportunities with other photographers
After graduating from high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, David Valdez enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he was trained as a photographer. He served with the 836th Combat Support Group for four years, and then earned a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park. While he was a student there, Valdez was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a photographer.
He left the federal government to become chief photographer for Nations Business magazine published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 1983, he became the personal photographer to then-Vice President George Bush. In 1988, President Bush appointed Valdez Director of the White House Photo Office. During this administration, he traveled to 75 countries and all 50 states with the President. In 1997, he published George Herbert Walker Bush: A Photographic Profile.
Valdez was appointed general manager of photography for Walt Disney Attractions in 1993. In 2001, he became Special Assistant to the HUD Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. Valdez became the Vice President for Business Development for Blue Pixel Digital Experts. Blue Pixel was digital photography consulting firm. Blue Pixel contracted with Nikon and Microsoft. From 2003 to 2010, Valdez was the Director of Visual and Electronic Information for HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. He is the Founder of The Texas Photography Festival.
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