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Testimonials
"We were amazed at Dennis Mock's ability to work quickly and capture moments while they were happening. Our guests loved his enthusiasm"
-Colette and Matt

"Not only does Dennis Mock have an eye for capturing the essence of the , the photographs exceeded our expectations in their beauty and variety,"
-Christy and Jeff

Dennis Mock, owner of Dennis Mock Photography, of San Diego, California, specializes in wedding photojournalism. Dennis documents the wedding day as it unfolds, from start to finish. This California imagemaker photographs between 35 and 40 weddings annually.

“I take a contemporary, journalistic approach to wedding photography,” Dennis Mock says. “My style is spontaneous, capturing the telling moments of the day in artistic compositions, which I call ‘the many faces of the wedding.’ My style reflects elements of my past experience as a sports photographer, in that I have an eye for capturing defining moments; while my architectural photography background is revealed in my attention to composition.”

Over the past 20 years, Mock has won numerous awards for his outstanding wedding photographs and unique album designs, including: “Wedding Photojournalist of the Year” award in 2001, from the Professional Photographers of California; nine Fuji Masterpiece Awards, a Kodak Gallery Award; he was named Professional Photographers of San Diego County’s “Wedding Album Photographer of the Year” eight times; “Third Place” in the Bride & Groom Alone category in WPPI’s 2001 print competition and many others. All his awards are based on actual assignments, so clients are receiving his best efforts all the time. Mock believes that belonging to professional organizations is a great way to further a photographers’ education.

Education and Background:
Dennis Mock never used a camera until his sophomore year in college at San Diego State University, where he majored in telecommunications and film, and minored in photojournalism. After graduation, in 1981, Mock photographed buildings for his father, who was an architect. In 1983, he was one of the official photographers for the San Diego Padres baseball team. For the next four years, Mock photographed Major League baseball. Mock’s sports images were published on the covers, and featured in several popular magazines, like The Sporting News and Baseball Digest. Several cover shots on the San Diego Chamber of Commerce magazine, put his name out in the local community. In 1993, Mock attended his first WPPI Convention and has been a regular ever since. He also attends week-long photographic workshops at West Coast School and California Workshops. In 1999, Mock was keynote speaker at the PPC Convention, giving a program titled “Crunch Time.”

Wedding Coverage:
Every wedding story is different. To learn more about the couples before the wedding day, Mock includes an engagement portrait as part of the coverage. He calls this more of a “lifestyle portrait session,” because couples choose where they want to be photographed. This session may happen in a park, on a beach, in the mountains or downtown—wherever they desire. He begins the wedding day about an hour and a half before the ceremony, photographing the bride—capturing behind the- scene pictures as she dresses and is having fun with her bridesmaids. Then he’s off to photograph the groom and groomsmen at the church. Throughout the event, he uses behind-the-scene, detail and transitional photographs, to move the story along. Mock’s full-day coverage documents each different chapter of the day as it happens, from beginning to end. On average, Mock spends about 40 hours total on each wedding. He not only photographs it, but also manages the studio, meets with clients and designs the final Leather Craftsmen custom albums, which hold between 50 and 100 images. Popular add-on products for Mock are the Gallery Boxes containing 15 images, and small black and white albums.
“I’m constantly aware of what’s going on around me,” Dennis Mock says. “My brides don’t want an album full of traditional shots, they want artistic and avant garde. I play with architecture, location backgrounds and light. Each wedding is photographed as if it’s his daughter’s wedding, because to those involved, it’s just as important.”

Equipment:
Mock carries Minolta light meters to double check the exposures, because there are no retakes at weddings. He uses Canon EOS- 1V 35mm and Hasselblad medium format cameras, with a variety of focal length lenses for both. For the Canon, he uses a fisheye, 16–35mm zoom, a 70–200mm IS zoom, an 85mm f/1.2L, and 300mm lenses. For Hasselblad, he uses the 40mm, 60mm, and 180mm lenses. Nowadays, he shoots more 35mm than medium format because it’s easier to do the photojournalistic work. His color film choice is Fuji Reala, NPH 400 ISO, and Neopan for black and white. He uses Photo Factory lab for black-and-white work and Photic for color. This year, Mock plans to incorporate digital capture, having recently purchased his first Canon 1D digital camera.

Lighting:
Mock shoots as much as possible by available light. However, when additional light is needed, he uses a Canon 550 on-camera flash for fill or Quantum Q flash units on stands, as room lights during the reception. Marketing & Advertising: Most of his brides come through word-of-mouth referrals, according to Mock. This past year, two hotels asked if they could add him to their referral list because they saw images taken at their wedding sites and liked his work. To steer couples to his website, Mock runs regular ads in San Diego Bride & Groom magazine, explaining his style, awards, and listing the Internet website address. Clients can go to the website, view his portfolio and decide if he is the photographer for them. The website, which is updated regularly, generates more and more business all the time. Last year, he shot several out-of-town weddings from the website. Many of these couples never even visited the studio, but made all the arrangements by telephone and e-mail. Mock encourages other photographers to build websites because it has proven to be a successful marketing tool for him.

Consultations:
When brides call to inquire about his weddings, Mock asks how they heard about him? Through a referral, magazine ad, etc? After establishing that fact, he then asks if they have seen his website. Before visiting the studio, he encourages couples to view the website because they can see his portfolio online. When brides come to the studio, Mock shows recent samples in different style albums. During this meeting, he also explains the prices and why 40 hours of labor are needed to complete the entire process. Once the couple decides to hire him, Mock makes a Who’s Who list of all the important people attending the wedding, and any images they specifically request, like his signature photographs of the bride through the veil or through a window or doorway. Then he tells them to “have fun” and let him take care of the photography.
“Many couples viewing my sample albums say they felt like they had actually attended the weddings, because I tell little stories about the day and things that happened as we go through the samples. Each album shows the distinct personalities of the couple. I even show prospective clients albums that I am currently working on, so they know my work is up to- date. I never show old samples I shot years ago,” Mock says.

Future Plans:
Dennis Mock plans to continue giving clients more than they are expecting by constantly reinventing himself, so his work stays fresh and exciting. Adding digital capture is also part of his future plans. Mock also plans to travel to Ireland again, where his mother’s parents are from, to document the people, landscapes and history of Ireland. Upon completion, Mock hopes this self-assignment one day leads to an exhibition and a book. Readers may contact Dennis Mock at Dennis Mock Photography by e-mail at: dennismockphoto@; or by phone at:; or view his website at:

BY LINDA L. MAY

Among other cities, Dennis Mock Photography may serve the following areas: Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Pasadena, Oakland, Long Beach, Bakersfield, Stockton, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Anaheim, Inglewood, Van Nuys, Glendale, Irvine, Burbank, Berkeley, North Hollywood, Orange, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, Whittier, Modesto, San Mateo, Torrance, Palo Alto