I have worked as a professional photographer under the name M.C. Valada since the 1970s. My photographs have appeared all over the world in newspapers, magazines, books, advertisements, and corporate publications. For somewhat less time, I have been a member of the California Bar practicing copyright and entertainment law in Los Angeles. I represented the interests of individual photographers and creators' organizations in my practice. As a creators' rights activist, I have been involved in lobbying on copyright matters in Washington, D.C. and sales tax issues in Sacramento, California. I am an adjunct instructor of photography in the Media Arts Department at Pierce College, one of the campuses of the Los Angeles Community Colleges.