Recently, a friend of ours who will soon publishing a new local bridal magazine (the details of which are still confidential),  asked us to shoot some promotional photos to support the new publication.  The first of this series of sessions was on April 22nd at the Albuquerque Museum.  Our model was the gorgeous Jessica Augustin.  Dresses were provided by Bridal Elegance By Darlene and the exquisite jewelry is handmade by Carolyn Pollack.

Thank you to everyone who donated their time, goods and services to make this session possible.

-DeAnna Dimmitt and Rick Meiers

Dry Heat Photography

Meet David and Monica!  They’ll be tying the knot in a few weeks.  I shot their engagement session last fall in the bosque.  Stay tuned for the wedding pictures.

-Rick Meiers

Dry Heat Photography

Another casualty of Route 66, I don’t think Twin Arrows is a town so much as it’s a roadside attraction.  At one time it was a gas station with a diner that just so happened to have two huge arrows protruding up from the parking lot.  Another similar arrow can be seen at the corner of Carlisle and Indian School here in Albuquerque.

Two Guns

I don’t believe this KOA camp ground is actually part of Two Guns but it just so happens to be right behind it.

A lot of people ask us where the name Dry Heat Photography came from.  For those of you who don’t know the whole story; once upon a time Rick and I managed a different studio here in Albuquerque and we had a side project that was our collective works from all the ghost towns and old cemeteries that we would shoot, usually on the way to somewhere else, like a wedding.  Eventually, we amassed a large body of this work and began to seek gallery representation for it.  In order to this we needed a name and a website and, after much deliberation, Dry Heat Photography was born.  Later on, when we decided to open our wedding studio, the name was already in place and people knew Dry Heat Photography meant Rick and DeAnna so we just decided to keep it.

Anyway, we don’t get out to these places as often as we used to but last fall we went camping with our friends Jessica and Kemp.  They have a boat and like to hang out at Ute Lake near Tucumcari.  There are several ghost towns along this stretch of I-40 (between Albuquerque and Tucumcari) that once thrived on the motorists traveling Route 66.  Unfortunately, when I-40 was built most of these towns declined and fell into ruin.  Cuervo was never really a booming metropolis.  At it’s height it boasted a population of about 300.  Today, the population is less than 50 but what Cuervo does have is an abundance on semi intact, creepy looking structures that are a ghost town photographer’s ideal playground.

These first 14 shots are from another little ghost town that is just west of Cuervo.  I believe the name of it is Montoya.  Montoya boasts a tiny gas station that just might have the most repugnant bathroom this side of the Mississippi. The remainder of the town is comprised mostly of abandoned buildings.

If you want to visit Cuervo I strongly suggest not going alone.  There ARE people around who ARE watching you and sometimes it feels a little uncomfortable in a The Hills Have Eyes kind of way.  In addition there are partially covered wells and most of the structures are not sound.  All I’m saying is – pay attention to your surroundings and make sure you tell someone where you’re going.  If you disappeared it would be a long time before anyone figured out what happened.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

P.S. Here are a couple links to some past trips down the Mother Road

Seligman, Arizona

Ashfork, Arizona

Cuervo starts here

You’ve all met Megan and Chris previously in their Engagement Session and you’ve also seen Megan in her Bridal Session.   Rick and I shot this wedding together on January 29th.   The ceremony was at First Family Church but most of the photos were shot prior to the ceremony at the Sunrise Bank Building downtown.  Flowers and decor were provided by Joann Baldwin at A Personalized Affair. This is their Wedding Book, hot off the press and created by Dry Heat Signature Album Design.  Enjoy!

To Megan and Chris, thank you so much for making us a part of your special day!

-DeAnna Dimmitt and Rick Meiers

-Dry Heat Photography

Rick shot Laura and Greg’s wedding quite awhile ago, on September 20, 2008 to be exact, and you can see the original blog entry from their wedding here.  Well, sometimes people wait a little while to come back and order their wedding albums which was the case here.  Anyway, I just finished the layout for the book and here it is!  For those that are curious, the ceremony was at St. John’s Episcopal Church and the reception at Four Hills Country Club.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

You’ve all already seen Megan in her Engagement Session and now, here is her Bridal Session shot October 23, 2009 in the Bosque.  Stay tuned, Megan’s wedding album is currently in production and those images will be coming along very soon!

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

Joaquin and Jennifer were married on December 5, 2009 at San Felipe de Neri in Old Town and a reception at the Hispanic Cultural Center.  They had booked with us over the phone and the first time I met them in person was to shoot their Engagement Session which was only one day before the wedding.  Anyway, I had dealt primarily with Joaquin and he was so polite; having the most impeccable manners and I knew that Jennifer was a scientist so I was really quite surprised to see how young they were when we finally met.  These two are some of the most genuine and kind people I have ever worked with and I was very honored to photograph their wedding.  What you see in this blog entry is the pages of their wedding album created by Dry Heat Custom Design (i.e., me!)

To Jennifer and Joaquin, thank you so much for making me a part of your special day!

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

You see those leather chaps Joaquin is wearing in the photo on the top left?  He made those himself, pretty cool!

David Cramer (on left) with his partner, Avi.  Photo dated November 8, 2008

Last week the Dry Heat Gallery lost an artist and a dear friend.  On the evening of Thursday, March 25, 2010, photographer David Cramer was in the field heading an expedition to photograph wild horses when he suffered a massive heart attack.  He passed away later that night.  David was widely known for his fine art nature photography and his advocacy for the preservation and freedom of wild horses in the American southwest.  David was also an active member of the New Mexican Horse Project, New Mexico’s largest wild horse sanctuary and genealogical study.  When Rick and I wanted to start photographing wild horses, it was David that volunteered to help us and he chaperoned us on several outings, always knowing right where the horses were likely to be.   We thought of David as a kind and generous soul, we are so thankful for the time we shared his friendship and we will remember him through his many photographic works.  You may learn more about David Cramer and view more of his photography on his personal website.

-DeAnna Dimmitt and Rick Meiers

Dry Heat Photography

Please feel free to leave to leave your thoughts for David in the comment space below or by clicking the “comments” link at the top of this post.

Bella and Marcus are, as you may have guessed, brother and sister.  This is their Spring and Easter portrait session shot on March 5, 2010 at the Dry Heat Studio!

Would you like to schedule your own Spring/Easter portrait session?  Call or email now for session rates and availability.

505.730.8576 or info@dryheatphotography.com

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

P.S. You can view Kaylene’s  (pre-Marcus) maternity session here .