Behind the Lens: David Valdez's Stories from the Berlin Wall to Texas Photography

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is David Valdez and what is his place in White House history?

David Valdez is a Texas-born photographer who served as chief White House photographer for President George H.W. Bush, making him the fifth person in United States history to hold the role. He was trained in the military after President Nixon wrote inviting him to join, later worked at Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and traveled to 75 countries and all 50 states with Bush.

What is the Texas Photography Festival and who should attend?

Founded by Valdez roughly seven or eight years ago and hosted at the Williamson Museum in Georgetown, the festival welcomed 1,400 photographers this past year under CEO Julie Copenhaver. It features photographers, speakers, photo walks and workshops, and welcomes everyone from iPhone shooters to owners of 100-megapixel Hasselblads, with plenty of free programming alongside paid workshops.

What leadership lesson did Valdez take from Bush's response to the Berlin Wall falling?

Bush rejected political advice to travel to Berlin and claim Cold War victory, saying it was not America's victory but the German people's, and warning a rogue Russian general might launch missiles. Decades later a Ukrainian missionary, formerly in the Soviet military, told a Georgetown church audience that missiles would indeed have launched, validating Bush's restraint and humility.

What happened during the Kremlin visit with President Gorbachev?

After signing a nuclear arms agreement, Gorbachev unexpectedly led Bush down a side hallway to two large gold doors that opened into the Tsar's Chapel, kept pristine inside the Kremlin through more than 70 years of Soviet atheism. Valdez saw the moment as a reminder that you never know what is in people's hearts.

Where is Valdez's Bush presidency archive housed?

Valdez exposed 65,000 rolls of film during the Bush presidency, and the entire collection lives at the George Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He jokingly calls it the David Valdez photo gallery. The Briscoe Center for American History in Austin has also named him among its Icons of American Photography.

How does Valdez view photography's purpose in the age of AI and smartphones?

Valdez embraces AI and remembers two Disney staffers quitting when he switched the photo office from film to digital. He tells young photographers that every image, whether of a baby, a bluebonnet field or a Corvette at a car show, captures a moment in history that may prove irreplaceable decades later.

How does Valdez give back to his community beyond photography?

Valdez volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the USO and ROCK Therapeutic Horseback Riding, and serves at Crestview Baptist Church, where he washes dishes for roughly 600 Southwestern University students who come through every Monday. He frames the shift from the White House to washing dishes as service to the community and service to the Lord.