Capitol Spotlight: Senate photographer Jeff Walters

Whether state senators are discussing legislation, leading a press conference, or giving a presentation, official Senate photographer Jeff Walters is often called on to capture the scene.

Walters takes pride in producing the best images he can at any assignment.

“What I’m putting together, people will look at 20, 30, 40 and 50 years from now,” he said. “In an age when you can manipulate any photo you want, we have an unedited copy of images that go out in public. That’s critical these days.”

Walters has been in the position for a year after serving the 15 previous ones as photographer for the Assembly Democratic Caucus. He is one of the most recognizable faces at the Capitol and has taken photos of just about everybody, from Paris Hilton to the Dalai Lama.

His mother Ruth Degand said he has always had a passion for photography.

“I saw it so far back when he started taking pictures of family and wedding pictures,” she said. “What amazes me the most is he’s self-taught. He has never had formal training whatsoever.”

Walters, 58, has had a full life that has included service in the Air Force, driving trucks, raising four children, and nursing a crow named Blue back to health. He had a challenging childhood without a loving father present.

“All of those challenges have really made me a strong person and I think a person with integrity,” he said.

Born in Santa Monica but raised in Decatur, Ill., he was inspired by his older sister who had a talent for acrylic painting. Wanting to create something artistic himself, he started experimenting with photography when he was in high school.

When he graduated, there was no money for college, so he joined the Air Force. It was the first time he ever got in a jet, and it was steep learning curve to adjust to the demands of military service. By the end of his four years of service, he was stationed at Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, and he didn’t want to leave.

“After growing up in Decatur, being in California was like hitting the lottery,” he said.

He then drove garbage trucks and semi-trucks, got married and had children, while photography remained a hobby in the background. In the late 1990s, his babysitter asked him to take high school pictures. Her friends liked the photos so much that they asked him to take their pictures too. Suddenly, without trying, he had a photography business.

Walters developed his photography skills while still driving trucks by reading photography magazines on his lunch hour. He would go to camera stores, ask salespeople questions about the different lens and features, then take notes on what he learned.

As his skills grew, he entered the more lucrative wedding photography business. His work was featured on the cover of Sacramento Bride and Groom Magazine twice. He got connected to the Capitol after his then-wife got a job there.

Now divorced, he remains close with his four grown children. One child was a relative he adopted at age 11 after she had spent several years in foster care. When he got her, she was struggling academically, testing at a third-grade reading level in 7^th grade. He is proud that she is now studying to become a nurse.

His compassion for those struggling also extends to birds. One day, he saw a baby crow stranded on a parking lot. He took it home, researched how to care for crows on the Internet and nursed it back to health, documenting the experience on Facebook. When he tried to release the crow two weeks later, it wouldn’t leave so it became a pet for a while, even coming when he called. “It was the most amazing experience, ever,” he said. Sometime later, the crow flew away and never came back.

The story reflects Walters’ generous spirit, noticed by those around him. Krishnia Parker, a former co-worker and mentee, said Walters is generous with his time and knowledge and never hesitates to share his knowledge of photography with others.

“He’s also generous with his encouragement and believes that anyone can become a better photographer,” Parker said. “He’s had my back both professionally and personally and I’ll always have his.”

Walters is grateful to have a career that allows him to pursue his passion.

“I could never imagine being here,” he said. “Even 20 years ago, it was the furthest thing from my life. I’ve never met anybody who is luckier and more fortunate than I am.”