Many wedding photographers have abandoned stiff, staged wedding photography in favor of a more documentary approach. But Beck Diefenbach in San Francisco stands out from the rest. Why? Because he is an actual, honest-to-goodness, badass, award-winning photojournalist who has shot for publications like The San Francisco Chronicle, Thomson Reuters, and The Associated Press. As Beck says, “I have learned my trade under the smell of tear gas as well as confetti.” If he can handle all that, he can definitely handle your wedding. Here’s how Beck puts it:
Like many people in this industry, wedding photography is not my first or only career. Years before I began photographing weddings, I worked as a photojournalist for several newspapers. I didn’t just craft my skill set and work philosophy while on the job. I did so under the pressure of deadlines, competition, and the duty to inform our readers as best as possible.
Working under pressure is a daily activity for me… I photographed everything from Major League Baseball’s World Series here in San Francisco to Occupy Protests in Oakland. So I can come to weddings knowing that I can take any change, any swing in the schedule and keep chugging along. I let every couple I work with know they will never hear a single complaint from me. I roll with every punch and make sure that even if the day doesn’t run smoothly, I am there doing the best job I can. Because in the news world, there is no reshoot.
Beck’s prices start at $2,400 for six hours of coverage, $3,200 for eight hours, and up from there. He’ll even do destination weddings in the United States and Canada for a flat $5,000, and international for $6,000. All packages include all of his expenses, the rights to your images, and a web gallery. Most packages also include a second photographer. And to really sweeten the deal, Beck is offering 10% on all wedding packages until April 20, 2015.
Customer service is at the core of Beck Diefenbach’s business. He strives to create relationships with his clients, not just because he cares about the people he works with, but because it makes for better images. Plus, a career in news reporting has made Beck an expert at blending in (Beck’s M.O. is dressing like a guest): he’s shot beach weddings in shorts, formal weddings in a tux, and a rodeo wedding in a cowboy hat.
But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t Beck’s extracurricular activities that carve out a special place in my heart for him. In addition to his experiences in the field, Beck is a licensed commercial pilot, a restorer of vintage cars, and he also volunteers as an Assistant Scoutmaster to Boy Scout Troop 14 in San Francisco. This is the same troop he joined when he was a kid, and he has been documenting the boys he works with as a photographer for years. Here’s what he has to say about that:
I am an Eagle Scout and have loved working with kids since I got my first job working as a camp counselor at thirteen years old. In addition to assisting the boy-led troop of fifty-plus scouts, I also document our activities the same I would any assignment or wedding. Having developed a strong bond with many of these boys over the past four years, they feel comfortable with me photographing them in a natural, candid state.
If Beck can wrangle a bunch of rowdy boys with enough poise and calm to get those kinds of photos, imagine what he’ll be able to do with stubborn aunts and grumpy parents and drunk guests at your wedding. That, my friends, is why you hire a legit photojournalist for your wedding. Because tear gas and twelve-year-olds ain’t got nothin’ on your nana.
As one client said:
[Beck] is a gifted and professional photographer, who immediately understood our preference for photos that would capture the joy and fun of our informal celebration. We had a power outage during the ceremony, but that didn’t phase Beck! His easy-going manner helped with the humor of the situation. We cherish his photos of our wedding, and we highly recommend Beck Diefenbach as a photographer for any occasion.
Beck Diefenbach values honesty in his work. His images don’t betray the real emotions, real moments, and real feelings of your wedding, no matter messy they might be. That’s what comes from years of seeing danger and conflict through a lens, and managing to turn it into art. Beck explains:
To me, APW is all about talking about what many find difficult to say. On APW, I regularly read about couples whose lives probably don’t fit the standard characteristics of a magazine wedding in categories of orientation, budget, or religion. Because of this, APW couples who I have had the honor of working with often have the same concerns, hopes, and fears as I do when it comes to wedding planning. In this day of over-hype and over-Photoshop, I want to provide couples with the same honest, meaningful photography they deserve.
There are wedding photojournalists and then there are Wedding Photojournalists. I could give you countless reasons why the latter is a rare and special breed of photographer, but I would be better off just sending you to Beck Diefenbach’s website so you can see for yourself. Because they don’t just hand out those awards to anybody.
Book Wedding Photojournalist Beck Diefenbach today and get 10% off your wedding photography! (Valid until April 20th.)
