Three visual storytellers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center have been recognized for their outstanding portrait work at the 2025 NASA Imagery Experts Program Annual Awards. The ceremony, held on April 20, 2026, in Las Vegas, celebrated David DeHoyos, Josh Valcarcel and Bill Stafford, who captured the people and processes that drive human spaceflight.

DeHoyos, a Houston native who grew up amid the Apollo enthusiasm, earned first place for his portrait of European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot. The image, taken during an official NASA portrait session, reflects the photographer’s lifelong dream of contributing to space exploration. DeHoyos has been with Johnson’s photography department since 1991 after graduating from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Second‑place winner Valcarcel, a former WIRED magazine photographer and U.S. Navy mass‑communication specialist, was honored for his portrait of astronaut Jessica Meir beside an Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Valcarcel has served as a scientific photographer at Johnson since 2017 and emphasizes how his work reveals the precision and human element behind each mission.

Bill Stafford, a Texas‑born graduate of East Texas A&M University, secured third place with his portrait of Expedition 74 crew member Christopher Williams in an EMU spacesuit. With more than two decades of NASA experience, Stafford also teaches photography at the Gilruth Center, stressing the importance of capturing the subtle details that tell larger stories.

Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche praised the trio, noting that their images embody the collaboration, precision and creativity essential to advancing space exploration.