About
Valdez recalls his mother’s JVC handheld camcorder as his first encounter with a camera. She would discover that at a young age, he had a passion as the camera was filled with nothing but shaky videos of model trains and Legos. In high school, Valdez adored the advent of Youtube vlog creators and begged his mother for a DSLR, which he still owns. Valdez has accelerated as a creative professional from obtaining a B.F.A. in Film and Digital Media while simultaneously writing and directing his own independent television pitch, to having his photography featured in national exhibitions and published in travel magazines.
Valdez obtained his B.F.A. in Film and Digital Arts from the University of New Mexico. Immersed in a hands-on style of curriculum, Valdez acquired a deeper passion for cinematography and camera operation. He would write and direct his television pitch Doughboy while simultaneously taking position as Director of Photography for two Albuquerque based independent short films. Pre-production for his own pilot began on the brink of his senior year with a social media/GoFundMe campaign to promote and fund the production. Pre-production spanned over eight months, casting leads and background, organizing auditions and rehearsals, recruiting crew members, and budgeting funds for project spending. Valdez would oversee all directional aspects of the film, designing costumes, set decoration, securing locations, and collaborating with local businesses to film inside their establishments.
While completing his degree, Valdez was a camera operator for Albuquerque based broadcast network LoboTV with the NCAA. Under the direction of the Associate Athletic Director of LoboTV, Valdez operated broadcast cameras for the largest athletic events in New Mexico during the 2024 season, sitting court-side with the Mountain West champion Lobos and a shoulder mounted Hitachi broadcast camera. Post graduation, Valdez was contracted as the Media Coordinator of Santa Fe Workshops for the 2024 Summer Season. Valdez filmed a series of freestyle documentaries celebrating historic landmarks, national parks, critically acclaimed restaurants, hotels, movie ranches, and iconic film locations across New Mexico, while given the experience of working with accredited photographers from New Mexico Magazine, GQ Magazine, Leica Legacy, Tommy Hilfiger, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill just to name a few.
Valdez was later contracted by Visit Albuquerque’s Marketing team to photograph historical buildings and landmarks along Albuquerque’s Route 66 to create a “Then & Now” segment for their Route 66 Centennial website, which won Most Innovative Campaign Award by the New Mexico Hospitality Association. Recently, his work has been featured in gallery exhibition “Color Burst: Contemporary Photography” juried by Todd Johnson at Black Box Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Valdez was also scouted by the Creative Director at Explora Albuquerque to film and photograph their public summer event, “Day of Making.” Currently, Valdez is a studio photographer, editor, and social media content producer at Kenneth Brown Photography, a locally owned portrait studio in Albuquerque.
As a born and raised New Mexican, Valdez is honored to be trusted by many within the community to represent and showcase New Mexico’s diverse culture, history, and enchantment through the camera. His passion as a creative professional is to be immersed in the experiences of others while mastering the ability to represent his community with integrity and a likeness that delivers a sincere image through the lens. Considering the challenges as a creative professional, Valdez calls this practice one of his life callings. Valdez continues to carry his work into the professional world no matter the limitations.
Dominic Marcos 