A Georgetown man reminisces about his time as a White House photographer, 1 of only 12
David Valdez worked for former President George HW Bush for a decade. His photos tell the story of the era.
GEORGETOWN, Texas – Georgetown native David Valdez is a member of a very exclusive club. He is one of only 12 people in US history to hold the title of Chief Photographer of the White House.
Through his camera lens, Valdez captured some of the most important moments in our nation’s history. He has traveled to 75 countries and all 50 states.
“God opened these doors for me to get this position, and how else does a guy from Alice, Texas get into the White House? So you never know,” he told KVUE.
Valdez enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 18. There he got his first job as a photographer.
“I go into the Air Force and they say, ‘You’re going to be a photographer.’ I literally turned to the guy next to me and said, “What is this? I don’t even know.” They trained me to be a photographer and that was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.
He met President George HW Bush in the early 1980’s and served as his photographer for 10 years. Valdez has taken more than 65,000 rolls of film. He captured candid moments like a famous photograph of then-Vice President Bush, his wife Barbara, and their grandchildren while the family was on vacation in the summer of 1987.
It was a moment that showed people a different side of the man who would become the 41st President of the United States.
“People have an idea of what a politician is like, and that was really a grandfather in bed with his grandchildren. It was just a warm and fuzzy moment,” Valdez said.
It was a moment that likely helped Bush win the presidency by landslide in the fall of 1988.
Photographers have very important jobs in politics. Valdez understands how powerful an image can be.
Valdez still works as a professional photographer. You can find his work at davidvaldezphotography.com.
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/david-valdez-george-hw-bush-white-house-photographer/269-666bd2fa-15f3-4cdd-9472-8aa9ccb38499 A Georgetown man reminisces about his time as a White House photographer, 1 of only 12
