Today we’d like to introduce you to David Cruz
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m David Cruz, aka The Drunk Wedding Photographer. I photograph weddings on 35mm film in Los Angeles, California, exclusively on Nikon film cameras. I’ve been a film wedding photographer for several years now—on and off, mostly as a side hustle though. Only recently did I go full-time with my (new) brand, The Drunk Wedding Photographer.
And by “several years,” I mean since 2003. That year, I read a Men’s Health article claiming photography was the sexiest job of the year, and decided it was the career for me—I was in 10th grade. After graduating from George Washington Preparatory High School in 2005, I got my first job at Ritz Camera in the Beverly Center. Over the next ten years, I worked at a handful of camera shops, including Samy’s Camera in Pasadena. From 2013 to 2020, I lived in East L.A., worked in Downtown L.A. in the fashion industry as a photographer, and photographed weddings on the side—all on 35mm film.
In mid-2015, I went back to school full-time at East Los Angeles College and took a hiatus from wedding photography. I decided to jump back in around 2020, but because of everything happening at the time, I waited until things “normalized”—a blessing in disguise. Because that extra time allowed me to rebrand, and by January 2023, I relaunched under The Drunk Wedding Photographer. And it’s funny to look back on all of this—with so many ups and downs along the way, often feeling like nothing was moving the needle forward. But here I am, alive and well, all things considered.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Under my previous brand, it was an uphill battle with clients because La Raza didn’t understand why I still used 35mm film in a digital age. Though much of the blame was on me for not marketing myself properly. That’s why I went back to school for business administration and marketing. And since rebranding in January 2023, I’ve attracted clients who value my work as a film wedding photographer in Los Angeles and appreciate my unique branding. Of course, there’s always a “but.”
My brand name, which turns a lot of wedding photographers off. Often criticizing the name before taking the time to know who I am. I find this comical because many of these photographers have slogans on their website and Instagram like “love trumps hate,” “love is love,” “this is a safe space,” “you are welcome and valid here,” and the best one of all: “elevate POC voices.” I’m from Oaxaca, Mexico. Both my Parents and Grandparents are Mixteco, which by definition makes me 100% Mixteco. The irony. However, I faced this type of prejudice with my previous brand as well. Most notably, in early 2021, I received an email from Style Me Pretty—a wedding blog every “luxury” film wedding photographer aspires to be featured in—stating they weren’t moving forward with my photographs taken in Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring Oaxacan clients, one of whom is Afromexican.
According to them, the photos weren’t diverse enough for their “new, going forward diversity” standards, followed by a manifesto about being allies to marginalized POC voices. Mind you, the only reference to Oaxaca on their blog are three luxury weddings that feature Oaxacan-made napkins and Oaxaca “inspired” tacos. I couldn’t believe the grotesque response I was reading. Instead of just saying my photos didn’t meet their aesthetic standards, they used the race card to explain why my photos weren’t acceptable for the blog. Clearly, they either didn’t bother looking at the photos I submitted or flat out don’t believe the garbage that comes out of their mouths.
Adding salt to injury, I was surprised by the countless wedding photographers and vendors with the aforementioned slogans in their bios who defended Style Me Pretty, making me out to be the bad guy after I posted screenshots in various Facebook groups—many of them replying with Google image searches to school me on my own culture. This experience however, along with several other reasons, led me to rebrand as The Drunk Wedding Photographer a year later. As my Mom says, “lo que no mata, engorda.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Drunk Wedding Photographer?
I hate the summer, despise wearing shoes, and I own eight chickens—soon to be eleven. I prefer to drink in the morning because drinking at night is weird. Cocktails? Overrated. They’re a waste of time and money if you ask me. I take my mezcal or tequila neat, no ice. Aside from appreciating these elixirs the way they’re meant to be enjoyed, this preference ties back to my philosophy: keep it simple—in life and in my brand. Because often, the only two times most of the people we love gather in one place are at weddings and funerals.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from owning chickens this past year, is that life is short. Watching them live their best, but brief, little lives remind me how precious every mundane moment is. So, when I photograph a wedding, I don’t overcomplicate things. My photos are nothing more than vignettes—a simple documentation of who my clients were at that moment. Because it’s not about taking epic wedding photos for social media clout. It’s about preserving the everyday—the quiet, honest moments we end up treasuring the most. Because in the end, those simple snapshots of our loved ones, all we have left to hold on to when they are gone.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I was a full-time student at East Los Angeles College from 2015 to 2019, where I completed a few programs on photography, marketing, and business administration. By far, one of my favorite things was the entrepreneur networking events the Business Admin Department would host on campus or take us to. However, aside from the good food and unlimited wine (sometimes you’re lucky and get tequila), I’ve found that networking events in any profession can often be a waste of time. Because people are more interested in you giving them business—not the other way around.
As for finding a mentor, if they have a free Facebook group, or a YouTube channel, give out free information that’s useful without constantly pushing you to buy their online course or coaching program, then they might be onto something. That’s how I got on board with the Fuel Your Photos SEO Course and community a few years ago, run by Corey Potter. And thanks to Corey’s guidance, my online presence is significantly stronger, even with my brand being only two years old. My previous brand never reached this level of success, even with all those years in existence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thedrunkweddingphotographer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedrunkweddingphotographer
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedrunkweddingphotographer
