William Karl Valentine: The Eaton Fire - LENSCRATCH
I am pleased to announce that Aline Smithson is showcasing my Eaton Fire Portfolio today, which is the one-year anniversary of the fire.
Photolucida - Critical Mass 2025 - Top 200 Finalist - William Karl Valentine
I am extremely happy to announce that a portfolio of my Eaton Fire photographs has been selected as a Top 200 Finalist in Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2025 competition. This is the fourth time I have been a Top 200 Finalist (previous years: 2023, 2016, & 2014).
Three of the ten images I submitted have already been exhibited this year in the following cities: New York City, Atlanta, Houston, and Middlebury, Vermont. I am thankful that so many people have recognized the value of this portfolio and have showcased my images. I also want to thank Polly Gaillard, Photolucida’s program director, who oversees Critical Mass for all the work she puts in making this competition happen every year.
My Submitted images are below.
How Photolucidia describes Critical Mass:
Critical Mass is an annual online program designed to foster meaningful connections within the photography world. Open to photographers at all levels and from anywhere across the globe, participants submit a portfolio of 10 images. After an initial pre-screening process, 200 finalists are selected to have their work reviewed and voted on by more than 150 distinguished international photography professionals. From this group, the TOP 50 are chosen, and a range of prestigious awards is presented.
Critical Mass offers an unparalleled opportunity to get your work in front of influential museum curators, gallerists, publishers, editors, educators, artists, and media producers.
On September 29th the Final Photolucida Final 50 was announced. I did not make it but I am happy to see that Aline Smithson’s work was selected, it is solid.
Exhibition Announcement - Ruins & Remnants - Opening May 2nd, 2025
I am very proud to announce that Juror Aline Smithson selected my photograph shown above for inclusion in the Ruins and Remnants exhibition opening May 2nd at Photo Place Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. This is my second opportunity to exhibit work at Photo Place Gallery, and I am also pleased that my image was selected as the Banner Images for the exhibition and received an Honorable Mention from the juror. Aline is an accomplished photographer and the founder of LENSCRATCH, an amazing on-line fine art photography daily publication.
This will be the first print exhibited from my Eaton Fire Portfolio which documents the destruction and ongoing rebuilding from the January 7th, 2025 fire that destroyed much of Altadena, California and took at least 17 lives. I am also thankful that a portion of the submission fees were subsequently donated back to Southern California Wildfire Relief Funds. My image was made on February 18th and documents the front archway of the Altadena Community Church which is basically all that survived the devastating wildfire.
Photo Place Gallery is a wonderful space which provides outstanding exposure for photographers as well as the medium of Photography. Gallery Director Zach Hoffman has brought in an incredible list of top curators for their exhibition calls which brings value just in the submission process alone.
Link to the Ruins & Remnants exhibition - all images and details
Below are the recognized works in the exhibition and the links to those photographers’ websites. I encourage you to visit their sites to become familiar with their work:
LENSCRATCH - Valentine's Day 2025
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year, obviously, and this year I received something extremely cool on February 14th when Aline Smithson posted “The I Love L.A. Exhibition” on Lenscratch and used the image I submitted as the lead image for the on-line exhibition.
Documenting the Eaton Fire, and the devastation it has caused in Altadena and Pasadena is one of the hardest portfolios I have ever done. The photographs actually have come really easy, it is an image rich environment, but the process is draining. Now that we are past the night of the fires I am having to photograph in a different style. It is a slow methodical pace where I look for details, it is almost forensic. I am very aware I am documenting other people’s loss and pain plus since Pasadena is my hometown I share that loss even though all our properties were okay. It is emotionally draining and motivational work at the same time.
The image above is one of my most powerful images from this portfolio. I was photographing burned homes in the Jane’s Village area of Altadena when I saw this family walking around this property surveying the damage. The dad called me over and asked me to use his phone to take their photograph in front of their house. I immediately agreed to do that and asked if I could also photograph them. We had a good conversation about their situation which happens a lot when I am photographing up there. I have found people like the fact I am documenting the event, and they really want to tell someone what they experienced and how they feel. I really appreciate those experiences although there is some load to bear from them.
LENSCRATCH is an online platform dedicated to supporting and celebrating the photographic arts and photographic artists through exposure, discussion, community collaboration, and education. Aline founded LENSCRATCH in 2007, and it has grown into an amazing forum for Photography. I met Aline in 2012 at the first Medium Festival of Photography and in March of 2013 she featured my Santa Anita book on LENSCRATCH. Aline is a good photographer in her own right and I have had the honor of having our photographs exhibited together before. I encourage you to check out LENSCRATCH if you are not familiar with it and I am confident you will return to it again and again: it is an amazing resource for photographers and people who love the medium of photography.
Exhibition Announcement - APG Selects 2024 - Opening September 17th
I am honored that the above print is included in the Selects 2024 exhibition which will open next month at the Atlanta Photography Group gallery.
The exhibition was curated by Aline Smithson who is a photographer, educator and founder of Lenscratch.
The Atlanta Photography Group describes Selects 2024 as an open-themed showcase that celebrates the diverse world of fine art photography, encompassing a wide range of subjects, cultures, and the global landscape. In the selection process, Smithson considered how the images worked in conversation with one another. She worked through 634 images submitted by 125 artists to choose 50 for Aline Smithson Selects 2024.
All work in this exhibition will be considered for the APG/Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Purchase Award, a $3,000 prize which is made possible through a generous grant from Edwin Robinson and Julin Maloof, in honor of Gloria and Ted Maloof. Lisa Volpe, Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will make the decision for the museum purchase award.
The Opening Reception will be a hybrid event on September 28, 2024 6:00-9pm ET, with Ms. Smithson and Ms. Volpe in attendance, and featuring a juror/artist talk beginning at 7:00pm ET.
The Image
This is the first time I have exhibited this image which I photographed this past March in Chicago.
I first traveled to Chicago to photograph in 1987. In the past 37 years I have photographed in Chicago more than any other city outside of Southern California. On my trip to Chicago this year, I encountered a noticeable population of recent migrants from South and Central America, something I had never seen there before on such a big scale.
I learned that since 2022, ~38,000 mostly South American immigrants have arrived in Chicago, from our southern border. The people I saw all had new winter wardrobes, and many were asking for money or selling candy. I usually don’t interact with people I photograph on the street, but in this case, I knew it would be wrong to assume their situation and I needed to know the truth. The people were reluctant to speak at first, but luckily my limited Spanish knowledge was enough to gain some trust. They said they had arrived from Venezuela and Ecuador three months before. I saw resiliency in the eyes of the kids, while the parents seemed completely unprepared for their new environment.
Photojournalists have documented the situation at the US/Mexico Border in great depth, but I think the story of the migrant population assimilating into our communities across the US is even more important and also needs to be told. Hopefully this image, along with more of my images, will help spark further conversation on these people and their situation.
The Print:
The exhibition print has an image size of 24” x 16” which is the largest sized exhibition print I have produced so far in an edition (I have produced some larger prints for commercial clients). This print is on a sheet of 26” x 18” Hahnemȕhle Photo Rag Ultrasmooth paper, framed with a window matt to an external size of approximately 31” x 27”. The print has an edition of 9 for this image size.
The print was made, and framed by, by Digital Arts Studio in Atlanta who I have been using to produce all my large print editions. Owner Barry Glustoff is fantastic to work with and his lab is one of the top certified printers of Canson and Hahnemȕhle papers in the world.
Photo Place Gallery - Middlebury, Vermont - September 2023
I am pleased to announce that Curator Aline Smithson has selected the above photograph to be included in The Decisive Moment juried exhibition at the Photo Place Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. This will be my first-time exhibiting work in Vermont, and it will be the 55th exhibition I have participated in.
I am honored that Aline selected my photograph. She is the founder, and editor, of Lenscratch Magazine and an accomplished photographer in her own right. I first met Aline at the Medium Festival of Photography ten years ago and she featured my Santa Anita book in article that same year. Earlier this year, we both had our work showcased in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio Exhibition, in an exhibition curated by Shana Lopes, who is the Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art .
This is the first time I have exhibited the above photograph which I captured 15 years ago while photographing for my Cactus League portfolio. The image is from the White Sox training facility in Tuscon before they moved to Glendale, Arizona and their current shared facility with the Dodgers. When I saw this call for entry, I realized this exhibition could be the perfect opportunity to finally showcase this image which I have liked.
I also want to congratulate Denise Laurinaitis who received the Directors Award for her submission “In Flight”. Denise exhibited this image with my work in May at the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio 2023 Exhibition. It is an outstanding image and worthy of the recognition.
APG - 2023 Portfolio Exhibition Installation Photographs
I authored a blog post in May about my inclusion in the Atlanta Photography Group’s Portfolio 2023 exhibition. I recently received the photographs of the installation, and this post is just to share them. I again want to mention how honored I was that Shana Lopes selected my photographs for this exhibition and to have my photographs exhibited with the other outstanding featured artists.
My six photographs in the exhibition.
Juror Shana Lopes and the other Photographers in the exhibition:
Artists Names and Links:
I am pleased that my work was exhibited with the other photographers and lens-based artists listed below. Collectively their accomplishments include a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Photo Lucida Critical Mass Finalists, and photographs in many prestigious permanent collections. Four of us live in Los Angeles, two in New York City, and the rest live in the following: San Francisco, Indiana, Mississippi, and Jason is in the Midwest. Hopefully you will take a moment to follow these links and learn more about their work:
Aline Smithson Instagram Web Site Linktree
I first met Aline ten years ago at the Medium Festival in San Diego and she interviewed me for Lenscratch about my Santa Anita portfolio and book. Aline has also featured Justin Carney’s work twice in Lenscrach as an emerging artist.
Ashleigh Coleman Instagram Web Site
Denise Laurinaitis Instagram Web Site
Justin Carney Instagram Web Site Linktree
Preston Gannaway Instagram Web Site Linktree
Michael Young Instagram Web Site Linktree
Simone Lueck Instagram Web Site
& Alternate Artists: Diane Meyer and Jason Lindsey
Atlanta Photography Group - Portfolio 2023 Exhibition - Now Open
I am proud to announce that six of my photographs have been selected for the Atlanta Photography Group’s “Portfolio 2023” exhibition, which opened Tuesday. I am especially honored that Shana Lopes, who is the Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the juror for this exhibition. Only eight photographers were selected, and one of us will have their photographs placed into the permanent collection of the prestigious High Museum in Atlanta from the purchase award associated with the exhibition.
This is my sixth Atlanta Photography Group exhibition, and this is the first time I have had my work selected for their portfolio exhibition. This is a significant career moment for me because the APG Portfolio exhibition is so competitive and always judged by a renowned curator. I am once again thankful for Donna Garcia and the staff at APG for all their work organizing this exhibition and securing Shana to make the selections. I am also thankful for the APG board, staff (Nicole LeCorgne), and community for building the best photography organization of this kind in the country. I am also excited about APG’s future with the addition of David Clifton-Strawn as APG’s new Executive Director.
Photographs in the exhibition
Background Information about the images in the exhibition:
“Welcome to Hell” (1985) – Bill Walton was an outstanding street cop. Where all the young officers wanted to work in the action-packed area with the gangsters and rock cocaine sales, Walton was happy working in the slower East side of the Pasadena. He wasn’t lazy in fact he had to work harder to get his arrests than officers in the busy areas. I remember how Walton would hunt vehicle burglars hitting the cars in the restaurant and theatre parking lots of his area. He had a number of hidden lookout spots where he could sit with his binoculars scanning the lots for thieves. He made lots of self-initiated arrests because he cared about protecting his beat. His clipboard has his unit call sign (“3L41” - signifying Swing shift, solo officer car, Beat 4, and the first unit in that beat, usually he was the only officer on that end of the city) and “E.S.P.” (Copying the East Side Pasadena gang graffiti), as well as the bumper sticker.
“Bus Ride” (1986) - Every New Years Eve, officers would get dressed at the old police station then get bused the half mile over to the convention center for the large briefing of all personnel working security along the route of The Rose Parade. Over a million people come to watch the parade each year, many of which camp out overnight and like to celebrate New Years Eve. Some areas of the route are calm and other areas were known to be rowdy every year. The buses used for these trips were Los Angeles County Sheriff inmate transportation buses. I always thought the contrast between the gang graffiti etched on the roof of the bus and the police officers added a lot to this image. I also love how this image captured the comradery of the officers and diversity.
“Report Writing” (1985) - Documents the unglamourous part of law enforcement you never see in the movies or TV shows, having to write reports. Back then everything was handwritten or typed by the officers. Lots of white out and erasers. I chose a different angle to showcase how much paperwork actually have to deal with. The images also lets the viewer see how unglamourous the report writing area was.
“Dusting for prints” (1986) – I learned so much about the profession while photographing at Pasadena PD that I would later use in my own career as a Police Officer and Detective at Chino PD. As I was photographing Calvin Pratt, he taught me to always dust the center review mirror on recovered stolen vehicles because everyone always adjusts the mirrors the first time. He said most car thieves would wipe down the stolen cars when abandoning them but often would forget to wipe down the center mirror. Auto theft investigation would later become one of my areas of expertise’s at Chino PD.
“Gang Card” (1995) – Foremost this image documents the era when law enforcement was encouraged to do more gang enforcement to combat rising crime in Southern California. There are a few layers in this image, the gang tattoo, which was hidden at first, the subject looking away avoiding eye contact and the posture between the officer and the subject.
“Domestic Violence Suspect” – (2022) Last year the Chief of Police at Chino PD asked me if I would be willing to come back and photograph officers out on patrol again and I immediately told him I would. A couple years ago I had decided it would be good to photograph this current era of Law Enforcement so I could document the changes within the profession in my time. With the pandemic I had not found the right opportunity yet. This image documents something that unfortunately never seems to change, domestic violence. The man in the back seat of the unit is a domestic violence suspect who allegedly got drunk and slugged his wife in the face during an argument. When the first officers arrived, he resisted arrest and a crowd formed in the apartment complex prompting officers to have to call for a “code three back” for more assistance. After being handcuffed the man refused to walk to the police car and had to be carried to it by officers. The man’s brother, whom he had been drinking with, said the man resisted arrest because was afraid the arrest would hurt his ability to lawfully immigrate to this country. If I correctly remember the man and his family came to the United States from Nicaragua, crossed the border illegally, and were placed in this apartment complex while waiting for their immigration hearing about their asylum request.
Information about images in Previous APG Exhibitions (see below):
“Kevin Hall at the Do Dah Parade” (1985) – The Do Dah Parade is an annual event where people hold a spoof parade making fun of the Rose Parade. I think it still exists, but its popularity has waned, it was at its peak in the 80’s and 90’s. This image is a great document of the parade, but I also love the symbolism in it. Kevin was a big good-looking cop, who wore the uniform well. Here he is looking cool, calm, and collected in amongst a world of pandemonium. The image symbolizes what society expects from all officers but has little concept of how hard that is to achieve, especially in today’s world.
“Young Guns” (1986) – Pasadena PD Officers Hal Edwards, Matt Harrell, Mark Rangel, and Don Osterholt. These are Graveyard shift officers lined up in the hallway at the station waiting to check out their unit keys, shotguns, and portable radios. Law Enforcement Graveyard shifts inherently have many young officers because they have the least amount of seniority and can’t get a better shift yet. Younger officers often bring more energy, make more mistakes, and have lots of bravado. When I made the exposure I felt the image captured the invincible, fraternal, mindset many young Graveyard officers have. I also liked the fact this image documented the diversity which Pasadena PD had in the 1980’s. I gave this image the title “Young Guns” sometime later, with the inspiration being the 1988 Western movie with that title.
Related photographs which have recently shown at APG but are not in this current exhibition.
Artist Statement for this submission:
My father was a Reserve Police Officer with the Pasadena Police Department for over 30 years. I would go with him when he went to the station to drop off paperwork and he often stopped by our house nights he was on patrol. Because of this I saw my first dead body when I was about six years old, 1969. A hippie had overdosed, and his friends brought him to the emergency clinic next to the station, but he was already dead. MY dad took me over to his body in the VW bus and told me my first lesson about drug use. I remember the scene vividly to this day.
I started attending Arizona State University in the fall of 1984 as a Photography major. For a class assignment, I needed a documentary project to photograph during spring break. I came up with the idea of photographing the Pasadena Police Department and my dad made the arrangements so I could go on a series of ride-alongs to photograph. The first night I rode with a Sergeant who was a good family friend. He took me all over, introduced me to the younger officers, and he got me on scene of a suicide, a woman named Tina Hart who shot herself in the middle of the street. I immediately liked being in a police car and knew the access I had could lead to a powerful body of work. Northwest Pasadena in the mid 1980’s was crazy, lots of rock cocaine and gangs; the Bloods and Crips in Southern California were very active. When I got back to school the work was well received.
I continued the Pasadena PD series during the following summer. I quickly earned the trust of more officers and ended up becoming a technical reserve working in the photo lab during the day while still photographing on the street at night. Between 1985 and 1987 I spent over 1,000 hours on the street photographing officers with unlimited access.
When I graduated I did not want to become a press photographer, so I decided to become a police officer. I attended the Rio Hondo Police Academy and then became our class photographer which gave me more unique access. I was then hired by the Chino Police Department in 1987. I spent most of my career working Patrol with years in the Detective Bureau. I was medically retired in 2008 because of injuries. Working patrol photographed when I could but I obviously had to perform my duties first. Last year the Chief at Chino PD asked me to return and start photographing the department again.
This portfolio documents law enforcement during a period which is now being scrutinized by people examining ways to bring about change to our criminal justice system. I don’t know of any other photographer who had the access and vantage point that I did during this era.
Other Artists in the Exhibition
I am pleased that my work is being exhibited with the other photographers and lens-based artists listed below. Collectively their accomplishments include a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Photo Lucida Critical Mass Finalists, and photographs in many prestigious permanent collections. Four of us live in Los Angeles, two in New York City, and the rest live in the following: San Francisco, Indiana, Mississippi, and Jason is in the Midwest. Hopefully you will take a moment to follow these links and learn more about their work:
Aline Smithson Instagram Web Site Linktree
I first met Aline ten years ago at the Medium Festival in San Diego and she interviewed me for Lenscratch about my Santa Anita portfolio and book. Aline has also featured Justin Carney’s work twice in Lenscrach as an emerging artist.
Ashleigh Coleman Instagram Web Site
Denise Laurinaitis Instagram Web Site
Justin Carney Instagram Web Site Linktree
Preston Gannaway Instagram Web Site Linktree
Michael Young Instagram Web Site Linktree
Simone Lueck Instagram Web Site
& Alternate Artists: Diane Meyer and Jason Lindsey
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