“My current body of work is an up-close exploration of the details around us -- finding the elements that best reveal their essence.”

- Valerie Brown

Ms Brown has become known as the garden and park photographer of the DC Metro area. She also has a unique approach to architectural photography as well as talent for portrait photography.

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Valerie Brown studied photography at Ohio State University where she received her undergraduate degree. She went to on do post graduate work at Parsons New School and School of Visual Arts in New York City. She gained additional skills working as an assistant to notable artists Ernst Haas, Salvador Dali, Igor Bacht, Philippe Halsman, W. Eugene Smith, and Helene Gaillet.

Since 1977 Ms. Brown has worked as a photographer, having many varied assignments ranging from fashion in NYC to ski photography in Colorado. One job resulted in an exhibition of her dance photographs at the Harkness House in NYC. Her clients have included JNF, Israeli Bonds, DCPl, Hillwood Estate, Where Guest Book, Women’s Wear Daily, Washington Dossier, Interview, People Magazine, Time Magazine, Wine, Smithsonian Books, Morris Publications, Kennedy Center, Folger Shakespeare Library, Kennedy Center, Ohme va Sweden Landscape Architects Salkind Productions (Superman movies), Cannon Films, Warner Brothers, Statue of Liberty Celebration Foundation, U. P.I., Embassies, and various public relations (Gray, Ruder and Finn) and advertising agencies (Gavatos/Dunn, Marbro, Abramson). Brown spent a month in Thailand photographing the Bicentennial of the Dynasty for the Thai government and was hired by the Department of State to photograph King Hassan of Morocco during his visit to the United States. In addition, she has done corporate brochures and portraits.

Brown was recently commissioned by the JBG Companies to do photographs of their green spaces attached to their buildings for their corporate art collection. One of the properties was the Department of Transportation which is a green building with a green roof. She also has had two environmental photo essays in the Where Guest Book DC 2013 and 2014 and one in the Where Guest Book Virginia 2014.

Brown’s photographs are included in numerous collections including The Washington Post, Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering, Howry and Simon, Caplin & Drysdale, Ferrari, The Honorable Joseph Reed, Car-roll Janis (Sydney Janis Gallery NYC), JBG Companies, Morris Publications,; and other private collectors.

Ms. Brown published the book Capital Splendor: Gardens and Parks of Washington DC April of 2012. It was published by Countryman Press a division of W.W. Norton & Co. She was commissioned by the Royal Thai Embassy in 2017 to do a book – A Royal Journey Among the Smiling Faces of Thailand. 

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Ms. Brown was recently mentioned as a local Washington, DC expert on the Redfin blog!