Capturing the Beauty of Texas, One Photograph at a Time

Artie Limmer keeps his hands as still as possible as he stares into his viewfinder and aims directly at his target. His eyes narrow with concentration as he adjusts the angle. Satisfied with what he sees, he takes his shot.

There’s a sudden burst of light. Limmer smiles at his target – a professor at Texas Tech – and asks what she likes most about her job.

“Photography is like any kind of art – you get the satisfaction of creating something someone else likes, something they want to buy and own,” Limmer says. “That’s just really cool to me.”

Limmer is an editorial photographer and director of creative services in Texas Tech’s Office of Communication and Marketing. He says the best part about his job is meeting and learning about so many great people.

“When I’m doing a portrait of someone, I like to get them to talk about themselves,” Limmer says. “You find out what their life’s like. You have the chance to get inside their heads for just a moment. You have to get back out again, of course, but you have to make them relax, and the best way to do that is to ask them about themselves. People are always experts about themselves.”

A 1982 graduate of Texas Tech, Limmer has done work as a freelance photographer for prestigious media outlets such as Texas Monthly, Sports Illustrated and New York Times. His photographs have appeared in materials from the Ag Credit Bank of Texas, U.S. News and World Report and the Texas Department of Agriculture.  He also does a multitude of commercial work for many advertising firms and businesses in the West Texas region.

An Education in Life

Though Limmer is well known for his photos, he didn’t always have his mind set on being a photographer. Limmer received his first university experience on a football scholarship at a small college in New Mexico.

“I played defense as a freshman,” Limmer says. “But I got pretty beat up the first season. I remember thinking to myself, ‘there has got to be an easier way to go to school.’”

A first-generation college student, Limmer admits he probably wouldn’t even have gone to college if it weren’t for his football scholarship. Limmer's parents were very much against paying for him to attend a university. But once he started school in New Mexico, he decided to continue his higher education.

“I thought, ‘I can do this. This is easy. All you have to do is study and pay attention,’” Limmer says.

Since he grew up in Slaton, Limmer knew about Texas Tech and he also knew the university had a great art program. Because his parents still opposed his decision, Limmer put himself through college working on the railroads in the summer. Once at Texas Tech, he began having the experiences that would take him to his future career.

“I’d always been an artist, always drawing and painting,” Limmer says. “I started Texas Tech as a design communications major with a minor in photography. But as I built on my experiences, I realized that I was a really good photographer.”

Limmer graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in two-dimensional art, emphasis in photography with a minor in design communications.

“I liked going to Texas Tech because it was easy to build a degree based on what I was best at and interested in," Limmer says. "I got to try a lot of stuff during my time at the university.”

On the Cutting Edge, Close to Home

Limmer’s loyalty to Texas Tech extends beyond being an alumnus. When asked to head the photography services department at the university, he jumped at the chance.

“I love Texas Tech and I want the university to have the best images and the best photos of campus,” Limmer says. “We deserve to be on the cutting edge of design. We’re giving Texas Tech the edge that gets people’s attention.”

In addition to meeting professors and staff on campus, Limmer says he loves working for Texas Tech because he never gets bored.

“It’s always thrilling,” Limmer says. “I love people, and I love talking with people. It’s also very educational. I learn a lot from our professors here.”

And Limmer is always willing to share his knowledge about photography with students.

“Don’t limit yourself,” Limmer advises. “Experience as much photography as you can, not just in class. Look at magazines, pieces of work that look good to you. Get your own personality in your photographs.”