I love that my awareness of what is around me is heightened.  I am excited about seeing objects unfold every day and having the ability to photograph those things in real time and for others to see, possess, and admire.  I am also fascinated with how stories emerge from a single picture or sets of pictures.  Ed says “I love the freedom photography offers because it is a solo act, and when I am in the moment, there are no outside distractions or disturbances.  I am able to see and appreciate every living moment in real time.

Prior to photography, I served as the Superintendent / President of Hartnell Community College District (1995-2007); I am a Paul Harris Fellow, American Council on Education Fellow, Fulbright Scholar (India and Nepal) recipient of the Harry Buttimer Award for Outstanding leadership in California Community Colleges, the largest system of community colleges in the world. I have co- authored several books in the area of international Education and the 2009 winner of the CIES Best Book Award for Community College Models: Globalization and Higher Education Reform.  I am a graduate of the Harvard Institute of Educational Management and earned my Doctorate from the University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, Masters from California State University, Hayward, California.  My undergraduate degree was in English and earned from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

I love photography and world traveling. I study the Piano, play the Djembe Drum, Golf, and Bowl. I love movies, enjoy salsa dancing, public speaking, writing, swimming, hiking, and visiting the gym and meeting people.

About The Photographer (in his own words):

Dr. Valeau is CEO Emeritus of Hartnell Community College and CEO of Valeau photography.  As a freelance independent national and international photographer, he has traveled to more than 72 countries to photograph the most scenic images that nature has to offer.  He enjoys photographing landscapes, city scapes, mountains, and the cultural connections of our universe.  Ed specifically works to photograph the splendors of nature and man through shooting Botanicals, Landscapes, Sunsets, Ocean/Beach, Wildlife, and our Cultural Diaspora. 

Through an array of colors, human and animal forms, nature, and mans’ physical creations, beauty evolves through the art of photography.  I am fortunate to be in the position to travel and transmit what I see for the joy of others.  I am still on my journey to learn more so that my images evolve and speak strongly to the viewers.

What excites me about photography is having the ability to see in ways that were not possible to me before.  Everything in the universe follows lines and patterns influenced by light, depth, and perception.