Some projects feel special from the very first conversation. This was one of them.

In late 2025, I was contacted by Visit Albuquerque to brainstorm ideas for the cover of their 2026 Visitors Guide. The goal and overall theme of the project was to highlight The 100th anniversary of the route 66. We wanted to create an image that embodied the city’s connection to Route 66 in an authentic, contemporary way. After exploring several concepts, we settled on the iconic Route 66 Diner near downtown — a location that carries both visual recognition and cultural weight.

We built the narrative around a young couple traveling across the U.S. along Route 66, stopping at the historic landmarks that make the route so enduring. The idea was to capture a moment of pause within a larger journey — a quiet, snapshot of exploration, nostalgia, and movement.

Production & Planning

This shoot required an immense amount of pre-planning and production resources to ensure its success. We wanted the right location, classic cars, and a good looking “couple” to bring it all together. In addition to photographing the project, I handled all production aspects from start to finish. I assembled a lean, dedicated team to make it happen. This team consisted of the following:

Producer / Casting / AD : Stafford Douglas

1st AC: George Richardson

2nd AC / BTS Stills: Ben Minegar

PA: Keely Fabroni

HMU: Genica Lee

Talent:

Amanda Machon

Emmanuel Aldrete

Location:

Route 66 Diner

Cars Provided By:

Artemis Promotions

The shoot

Once the location, cars, cast, and crew were locked in, we scheduled our shoot date. We planned to shoot early in the morning, with a 5:00 a.m. call time. What ultimately became a great morning was preceded by a fair amount of nerves the day before.

When we initially scheduled the shoot, our weather window looked clear and sunny. As is often the case with New Mexico weather, that forecast didn’t hold. A storm moved in and brought a significant amount of rain. At first, this wasn’t a major concern, as it appeared the storm would pass overnight. Ideally, we were hoping for a partly cloudy morning to give the photograph that classic “New Mexico sky.”

The bigger concern came in an email from the Route 66 Diner. The original neon that wraps the building and sign doesn’t perform well in cold, wet weather — and that neon was a crucial element of the image. There was a real possibility that all of the lights could be off.

It was too late to reschedule, so we rolled the dice. Fortunately, only a few portions of the sign were out — nothing a little Photoshop couldn’t fix.

Creating a story

While the primary objective was a single cover image, it was important to think beyond that final frame. Visit Albuquerque didn’t just need a cover — they needed a suite of assets capable of telling a broader story across print, digital, and promotional platforms.

By approaching the shoot with this mindset, we captured a full collection of supporting images: details, alternate perspectives, and contextual moments that expanded the narrative. These photographs give Visit Albuquerque the flexibility to continue telling the Route 66 story throughout the year, across multiple touch points, with visual consistency and depth.