GEORGETOWN, Texas — David Valdez from Georgetown is a member of a very exclusive club. He is one of only 12 people in U.S. history to hold the title of chief White House photographer.
Through the lens of his camera, Valdez recorded some of the most important moments in our nation's history. He traveled to 75 countries and all 50 states.
"God opened those doors for me to get that position, and how else does a guy from Alice, Texas, get to the White House? So, you just never know," he told KVUE.
Valdez joined the Air Force at the age of 18. It was there that he was given his first job as a photographer.
"I get 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 that? I don't even know.' They trained me as a photographer, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.
He met President George H.W. Bush in the early 1980s and worked as his photographer for 10 years. Valdez has taken more than 65,000 rolls of film. He captured candid moments like a famous photo 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 U.S.
"People have an idea about 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 in a 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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