As a prolific photographer producing approximately one hundred thousand negatives,[1] his 55-year legacy features people, and not just scenic photography.
In pursuit of a career in photography, he invested in new equipment and began documenting various incidents with his camera.
Much of his career was spent with Ansel Adams, as they captured the essence of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Laval's photographs portray various aspects of life in the Central Valley, including but not limited to, agricultural practices, city-wide events, family gatherings, and even infrastructural change.
Today, his negatives are in the process of being digitized in order to preserve the rich and diverse history of the Central Valley.