Today we’d like to introduce you to David Cruz.
Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Let’s dive right in, who is David Cruz?
I am David Cruz and as my Instagram bio states, I’m a politically incorrect Oaxaqueño and a self-proclaimed Mezcal sommelier photographing analog weddings on 35mm film often whilst tipsy.
And although I’m an Oaxaca native, I’m very much an L.A. local at heart as I did my time at the LAUSD all twelve years, starting in Westlake MacArthur Park in the mid-’90s followed by South Central in the early 2000s for high school. So, as we say in Spanish, “soy de barrio.”
Do wedding photographers still use film?
Yes, and more so these days because clients appreciate how different weddings look on 35mm film when compared to digital. They can’t explain it, but they see it. They feel it. And it should go without saying that analog weddings stand out in a saturated market because film wedding photography is now recognized as a luxury service.
Which is a double edge sword for those of us like me who have been using 35mm film exclusively to photograph weddings. Because it used to be that you could walk into Ritz Camera at the Fox Hills Mall to pick up ten rolls of 35mm film for about six bucks. Nowadays however, you are lucky to find a roll of Kodak Portra for twenty bucks on eBay: a rant for another day.
Where do you find creative inspiration?
My portfolio is often described as bright and happy, so it’s funny to see people’s confusion when finding out my source of inspiration comes from watching the original Twilight Zone series. Furthermore, while editing said pretty photos, I often listen to paranormal (the Mexican variety) and Dogman stories, making the editing side of photography bearable; I despise editing.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’m Mexican, of course it has not been a smooth road because being a working artist of any sort is not a real job in the eyes of most working-class Hispanic parents. They see it more as a hobby rather than a career.
Thankfully however, it has gotten better over time thanks to social media allowing me to carve out a small but dedicated niche on the internet. Not to mention the rise in popularity of destination weddings in Mexico, especially in Oaxaca. Which in turn has pushed the value of my work even higher over the years.
What first sparked your passion for photography?
This is going to sound weird but sometime between late 2002 and early 2003 I can’t remember the exact date, I read an article in Men’s Health magazine which said photography at the time, was the sexiest career for men and here I am still at it.
Did you go to school to learn photography?
I enrolled in the business administration program at East Los Angeles College while taking photography classes however, I picked up most of my photography knowledge at various camera shops I worked in after graduating high school.
That said, I owe a lot of the business side of photography to both the exemplary faculty and staff at ELAC as well as the competitive nature in the photography department. I can honestly say had it not been for ELAC, I would not be in the level I am today.
If not a photographer, what career path would you have taken?
I think I might of have gone into teaching or cooking. I’m a rather gifted cook with traditional Mexican and Oaxacan gastronomy. That or some rich person’s personal driver because I love driving in L.A., just not my own shitbox. Which I did do for some time oddly enough.
What are your business plans going forward?
I’m putting together some Mezcal and street food vendor recommendation videos, keep an eye out for those soon. And as I mentioned earlier, more and more couples are opting for destination weddings, so fingers crossed my re-designed website bares fruit with photographing more Mexico destination weddings in 2023-2024.
And what advice would you give your 2003 self if you had a time machine?
No one will remember if that girl said ‘no’ after asking her out. Just ask her out. Also, take WAY more photos now because you will not believe the price of film in 2022.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thedrunkweddingphotographer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedrunkweddingphotographer/
- Other: Grainery: https://grainery.app/u/davidcruz
Image Credits
Hair Styling: Andy Ayala | IG: @andyhairart Lingerie: April Kristina | IG: @boneslingerie Wedding Dress: Claudia Rubiños | IG: @claurubinos Wardrobe: Ariana Rodriguez | IG: @ariana_rodriguez_designs
