Posts Tagged DeAnna Dimmitt

I’ve been photographing weddings a long time; eleven years to be exact.  Given that I’m currently 34, eleven years is a considerable time frame.  Photography is the only career I’ve ever pursued.  It’s all I know how to do.  I’ve spent ample time observing the observations of others.  People ask me things like “how can you stand to shoot weddings?” and it’s not a well hidden secret that some think brides are caught up in the vanity of aesthetics or that photographers are more interested in showboating their chops than in capturing anything “real”.   Yeah yeah, I know, all of it.

For years I would work like a machine, executing each shot of each event with precision and clarity.  Also like a machine I was calm, cool, and collected, always.  Sharing in my client’s emotions was not allowed.  I was there to work, not to have feelings.  Furthermore, I frequently suspected that the emotions being displayed by others were more theatrical than sincere.   This was not entirely a bad thing but I think being emotionally detached from the event showed in my otherwise spot on work.  In addition, I was not really committed to continuing down the path of photographing weddings.  Then one day about 5 or 6 years ago I was photographing a small wedding at a beautiful resort and something different happened.   I’ll come back to that.

So often life changing events sneak up on us and we don’t see them coming.  We don’t know that we may be enjoying the last moments of normality, peace, contentedness or a loved one’s presence.  We don’t always know that this time may be the last time.  The event horizon doesn’t always have warning signs.  We aren’t aware of the value in a moment until it’s over.

I was photographing a wedding.  The bride’s dad was terminally ill.  No one actually said that but it didn’t need saying.  He could barely walk and his breathing was laborious.  I shot all the photos that involved her dad in the lobby of the hotel because he could not walk outside.  Everything else about the wedding was normal; beautiful bride, great location, all was as it should be.  During the reception they had all the normal events; toast, cake cutting, first dance but during the father/daughter dance something happened that changed all of us who were there.  The bride was dancing with her father, I forget the song but it doesn’t matter.  The bride starts to cry, which is typical and then she starts to really cry, not typical.  I’m watching and shooting and she is weeping, clinging to her father.  I look around and see other people in the room having the same reaction and it hits me; she is saying goodbye to him.  She sees that this is the moment, the moment we all say we wish we had after it’s too late.  She sees it and she knows it and she’s having it right then, right in front of me.   As the song continues the bride’s mom comes up and joins them followed by the rest of the family.  All of them weeping, all of them embracing each other.  Now even a machine like me can’t hide the fact that I’m getting caught up in the moment and I too am getting emotional.   All of a sudden I realize why I’m there.   Maybe they (and I) didn’t foresee it when they came in to sign a contract and put down a deposit but they were entrusting me to record this moment for them.   So, tears running down my face or not, this was no time to drop the ball, to look away or to grab for a kleenex.  A family was saying goodbye to their father and husband and I was there to record it for them.  I must have shot 200 photos in about 3 minutes.  It seemed like eternity.   We were all there together, aware of what was unfolding, and seeing this time as the last of it’s kind.  I think those photos were probably the last ones they had of themselves all together and before the past became the future.  We were all there, in the present.

I don’t want to mention names or locations as this story is obviously very personal but I would like to thank this family for giving me a reason to see real value in what I do and for helping me to embrace wedding photography as a life long passion.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

You’ve all seen Nicole and Bryan in their Engagement Session last fall on Canyon Road in Santa Fe.  Well, the big day has since come and gone and here is their wedding album, featuring Dry Heat Signature Album Design, to prove it!  Nicole and Bryan were married on May 22nd at St. Bernadette Church.  On the way to the reception at Embassy Suites we all took a little detour over to the UNM Duck Pond for some greenery and shenanigans with the wedding party.   While all this may seem satisfactory for a wedding day performance, Nicole really wanted sunset photos in the mountains and the day-of scheduling had rendered this impossible.  :-0  Not to worry though, the following evening Rick and I met them out at Elena Gallegos Open Space (and yes, they did suit up again just for this extra session) and the sky delivered in spades!    On a side note, I feel compelled to mention that Nicole and Bryan are some of the most compassionate people I’ve ever come across.  It’s rare and inspiring nowadays to find two people so concerned with the welfare of others.  The beautiful thing about owning Dry Heat Photography is that it has become a platform for attracting wonderful people like Nicole and Bryan into our lives.

To Nicole and Bryan, Thank you so much for making us a part of your special day!

-DeAnna Dimmitt and Rick Meiers

Dry Heat Photography

It’s always a pleasure to work an event with the guys from Los Primos!

You’ve all seen Jessica in her Engagement Session with Sean last fall at the UNM Duck Pond.  Jessica and Sean were married at the Prairie Star on August 7th and I photographed her Bridal Session in Old Town on July 24th. I really wanted to blog this session right away but, of course, had to wait until after the wedding to ensure that a certain curious groom didn’t get a premature eyeful!

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

What can I say about Cynthia and Terry except that they may possibly be the nicest people ever. Yep, ever.  I just photographed their wedding yesterday at the UNM Alumni Chapel and Four Hills Country Club and this Engagement Session was on Canyon Road on August 6th.  I love Canyon Road because the whole thing is a smorgasbord of mini photo studios; everywhere you look there is something wonderful and enticing!

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

Here are some of the highlights from Vanessa and Jason’s engagement session.  I shot this session at the New Mexico Tech campus a couple months ago and their wedding just last month.  Vanessa and Jason are booth martial arts instructors.  Jason teaches lion dancing and those are a couple of his students who came out to help us with the lion for the session.

-Rick Meiers

Dry Heat Photography

Jenny and Noel had a fabulous wedding in Jamaica followed several weeks later by  a fabulous wedding reception at the Isleta Golf Course.  In the interim we shot this Engagement Session in Old Town on May 8th.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

DeAnna and Brandon actually just married a couple weeks ago on June 18th at the Hotel Albuquerque.  We’ll get to those photos later but in keeping with the time line we’ll start with their Engagement Session.  Rick shot this session on March 25th at the UNM Duck Pond.

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I got up early this morning to continue working on the blog and this morning’s entry is Andrea’s bridal session from May 18th.  I was very excited to shoot this session at the First Presbyterian Church here in Albuquerque.  Constructed in 1954, this is one of the few remaining churches to maintain that majestic look and feel that I remember from attending church as a kid.  It has the huge stained glass windows, the ornate alter, the red carpet; everything that is reminiscent of church architecture from that time period.  Sadly, there are not very many churches like this left in Albuquerque so I felt it was a rare opportunity to be able to use this place as my own personal photo studio for an afternoon.  What a treat!  In addition, Andrea possesses a classic beauty that, coupled with the location, really created a perfect storm of sorts.  I don’t always say as much because it would start to sound redundant but I’m pretty sure that Dry Heat Photography has the most beautiful brides.  Hands down, our clients are the best and I would like to thank all of you for giving us an opportunity to do this amazing job. 

Incidentally, you’ve all met Andrea before in her Engagement Session with Caleb last summer at Elena Gallegos Open Space.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

I think most people will recognize that title as the well known documentary film about Wal-Mart that provides an in-depth explanation of the trade-offs associated with Wal-Mart’s notoriously too good to be true low prices.  The list of indiscretions is so long I don’t even know where to start but for sure there are environmental violations, extremely poor employee relations and practically nothing in the store is made in the USA to name just a few.  So… the topic of this little essay is not Wal-Mart but it is about shedding some light on wedding photography that is priced significantly below the industry average.  I wish that this was not a topic that is constantly in need of addressing but alas I see the problem persisting.  For all you brides I’m sure you’ve run across more than one of these articles and you must think to yourselves “What’s the big deal?”

Let us address the question “What’s the big deal?”

In reality this is an exceedingly simple issue and it boils down to the old adage you get what you pay for.  The reason that highly experienced, talented and successful photographers don’t shoot weddings for next to nothing is not because they are greedy and full of themselves (as the competition would no doubt imply), the reason is because they know how to survive in the real world.  The truth of the  matter is that quality products are not inexpensive, experience cannot be faked, bills have to be paid and the time we spend working on any given wedding is far more than just the time spent photographing the event.   One of the reasons that so many photography studios do not achieve longevity is because they literally drive themselves out of business by simultaneously under pricing and over booking themselves.  The inevitable result of this is not being able to keep up with the work load (therefore producing an inferior product) AND not being able to pay their bills.  Nothing spells frustration like running to stand still.   These things together equal burnout and burnout is a short road to finding a different career.

Who gets the short end of the stick here?  Well, clients do of course.  I would assume everyone would agree that any amount of money that is not well spent is wasted.  Sure, it may seem like you’re saving a bundle by hiring someone with bargain basement pricing but what about the money you’re spending?  Where is it going, how will it benefit you?  If you are not pleased with the outcome, do you still feel good about the money you saved?

I want to keep this short but here’s just one analogy for you.  If you needed surgery would you hire the best surgeon or the cheapest surgeon and do you think there is probably a good reason for the discrepancy in price?  I’m not saying that wedding photography carries the same weight as open heart surgery but, like open heart surgery,  you still only get one chance to get it right.

That may come across as blunt but it really is that simple.  Don’t take my word for it, check your gut and see if it’s true.

-DeAnna Dimmitt

Dry Heat Photography

As most of our friends know, Rick and I have many furry friends at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. For those of you who are not familiar, The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is located in Ramah, NM.  The mission of the sanctuary is as follows:

1. To operate and manage a lifetime sanctuary for displaced, unwanted, and un-releasable captive-bred wolves, wolf-dogs, and other related species, utilizing such resources as may be available from local, city, state, and private entities or individuals;
2. To educate the general public about wolves, wolf-dogs, and other related species and our environmental and ecological issues related to wildlife;
3. To generate self-supporting, sustainable revenue resources to assist in the financial support of the sanctuary.

Wild Spirit is a non-profit organization that operates entirely off donations from people like you who recognize the value and importance of having such an organization.  To learn more about Wild Spirit and to make a donation please click here.

All donations go towards the care and upkeep of the many animals that call Wild Spirit their home.