Today we’d like to introduce you to David Diener.
David, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My deep passion for photography began many, many moons ago. I studied at an art school in North Carolina where I mastered fine art and fashion photography. Once I graduated, I worked for archaeology and history companies, operating on some of the most famous archaeological sites in the United States. Some of my work can be found in the Library of Congress’ photography collection. That experience allowed me to develop further documentary and large-scale photography skills. While I appreciated these types of projects, I wanted something more so I combined my talent, knowledge, and love of people to generate wedding photographs with an artistic flair.
In 2003, I photographed my first wedding, and I suppose you could say the rest is history. My personal artistic style is aimed at capturing off-the-cuff, candid wedding moments without being intrusive. There’s something special about natural, photojournalistic style snapshots. Because I enjoyed practicing this particular type of photography, two years after shooting my first wedding, I decided to create Atlanta Artistic Weddings. My business not only focuses on taking beautiful photographs, but placing the couple and their wants first. Since opening in 2005, I’ve had the honor of photographing over 100 weddings across metro Atlanta as well as in Sandy Springs, Austell, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, Druid Hills, Decatur, Dunwoody, and John’s Creek.
I’ve also very fortunate enough to work with a wonderful team of fellow creatives. Without them, Atlanta Artistic Weddings wouldn’t be possible. Sarah Newman, a graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta, is a fellow photographer, who thrives on capturing unique moments between each couple on their special day. As a photographer, she also shoots portraits and weddings, but currently specializes in set stills/behind-the-scenes photos for theater and film within the Atlanta market. Lizzie Yeung, who’s fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, is the photo editor—an integral part of our team. She’s a hard worker and gifted artist, whose diverse talents also include interpreter, second photo shooter, and designer on many weddings. And my newest addition, Dana Hortman, a freelance writer who graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta with a master’s in writing, manages all Atlanta Artistic Wedding social media accounts and the website blog. She’s also revising and editing her first novel.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
At Atlanta Artistic Weddings, we like to think of ourselves as artists rather than photographers. Anyone can be a photographer. It’s a matter of picking up an expensive camera or handy smartphone, snapping a photo, and posting it to social media. However, it takes a true artist with an impeccable eye to find a distinct perspective.
Like every wedding photographer, we enjoy taking the perfect posed shots suitable for living room picture frames and wall canvases. Who doesn’t love a classic romantic dip-and-kiss? However, we’re also continuously searching for the hidden gems no one considers capturing—the fun, slice of life snapshots, wedding day edition. Why? Two reasons. One because those are the rare, yet extraordinary moments that hold the most sentiment. There’s the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about the emotions? For example, a husband-to-be’s nervous expression as his father adjusts his bowtie; two bridesmaids giggling about a minor nail polish mishap that reminds them of a similar incident in college; a ring bearer’s unexpected tantrum during the ceremony. And two, a couple’s wedding day is chaotic and often times an absolute blur. Because they’re being pulled in a million directions, they sometimes miss many moments. They might not know Grandma Louise was cutting a rug to Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “September” or the flower girl ate a piece of wedding cake the size of her head. Our hope is that when each couple we photograph celebrates their 50th wedding anniversary, they reflect on their wedding photos with love, laughter, excitement, and lots of nostalgia.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Keep your passion alive by continuously pushing yourself creatively. Sometimes, you must feel uncomfortable to achieve success in your craft.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can look at and support our work through various social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Like our page and photographs, share posts, write reviews from past experience with us, etc. Potential clients can also visit our website blog to see recent weddings and teaser photos. It’s amazing how much social media and the Internet have played a major role in this business. In the past, there were physical galleries potential clients could visit, but now, it’s a matter of opening an app or scrolling down a webpage.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atlantaartisticweddings.com
- Phone: (404) 578-6982
- Email: david@atlantaartisticweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantaartisticweddings
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlartisticweddings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/atlweddings
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/atlantaaweddings
Image Credit:
David Diener, Sarah Newman, Lizzie Yeung
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