Roman Beer

A Lucerne Photographer Who Travels

Roman Beer is a photographer based in Lucerne, trading as Roman Beer Fotografie, with a studio in the Tribschen district of the city. Weddings are one of several strands of his work, alongside business portraits, staff photos, events, drone pictures and private shoots. His wedding page says he wants to record the couple's day emotionally and creatively, and that although Lucerne is home, that should not stop him from accompanying a couple anywhere in Switzerland or even abroad.

The page sums him up in three words. Personal: he places great value on getting to know the couple beforehand. Creative: in his words, "Ich weiss, die gestellten Fotos mag niemand. Machen wir demfall die anderen." (I know nobody likes posed photos, so let's take the other kind.) Experienced: with 15 years of experience, he writes, he can react in spontaneous situations too.

An English Page for Visitors

Beer has a page written in English for visitors, though he apologizes on it that he has not translated the whole site. There he describes himself as a freelance photographer in Lucerne whose main fields are people, documentary and event photography, and who very often shoots on location. On weddings he writes that Lucerne is a hot spot for tourists and weddings, that he can act as the wedding photographer or help find the other services a couple needs for the day, and that he will happily accompany the whole day. He also offers shorter sessions: a few pictures in the old town of Lucerne, on Mount Pilatus or Mount Rigi, at the lake, or wherever the couple likes. He invites couples to drop a line or call.

For couples flying in, that is a useful combination: a local photographer who writes in English, knows the standard Lucerne backdrops and offers to point them to other suppliers.

How the Wedding Day Is Covered

The wedding page breaks a typical day into rough stages and leaves it to the couple which ones they want photographed. Coverage can take in the whole day or only the ceremony with the apéro.

• Getting ready: hair, makeup and dressing, which he says is worth a reportage of its own, because the day starts early and not with the walk into the church.
• The ceremony, civil or in church, which he calls the high point of the day. Thanks to long experience, he writes, he knows how to react in spontaneous and unforeseen situations.
• The apéro with family and close friends, where particularly valuable and unposed pictures often happen.
• The couple shoot, which usually produces the photo of the day, the one for the living room, the thank-you card, the album cover or a WhatsApp status. It normally takes place before or after the ceremony, depending on the schedule, and he notes it can calm nerves beforehand or happen relaxed afterwards.
• The evening program, where usually the closest circle stays on: food, performances, cutting the cake and the dance, with pictures in a relaxed atmosphere.

Under further wedding offers the page lists an engagement shoot and a photo booth (Fotobox), without details or prices. A non-binding first conversation is offered to talk through the couple's ideas, wishes, possibilities and even limits regarding photos, and there is a button to arrange that meeting.

The Studio

His studio is at Geissensteinring 41, 6005 Lucerne, which he describes as central, in the Tribschen area. For anyone visiting for a portrait or engagement session, the studio page gives unusually clear directions: the bus stop Tiefe is directly opposite, there is a parking space in front of the studio (look for the sign "P Fotostudio"), and the central location makes it easy to reach on foot or by bike. The studio is on the second floor, with a freight lift.

The equipment is listed in detail: Elinchrom and Broncolor flash, a range of light shapers from softboxes and octoboxes to strip boxes and reflectors, backgrounds in white, gray, black and other colors, and a full-frame Canon camera. The shooting area is a curved backdrop about 15 m wide, in a room up to 4 m high. He writes that in the studio the light is fully under control and so is the result, and that many clients enjoy the "unkomplizierte und lockere Athmosphäre" (uncomplicated, relaxed atmosphere), even those who think they are not photogenic. Changes of outfit are welcome.

He also has mobile equipment and can combine studio and outdoor work, with part of a session inside and part outside. He writes that Lucerne offers beautiful backdrops for that, and that he is also glad to work in Zug, Zurich, Bern, Basel and the rest of Switzerland. Outdoors, the weather matters, but he says a date can always be found and bright sunshine is not essential.

Contact and Booking

Contact is by phone on 079 515 07 79 or email at info@romanbeer.ch, both shown at the top of every page, or through the contact page. The site's online booking tool is for application photos, not weddings, so a wedding inquiry goes by phone or email.

What the Site Leaves Open

The wedding page publishes no prices and no packages. It does not say how many images a couple receives, how they are delivered, how long delivery takes, or whether an album is part of the offer. It does not say whether a second photographer is available, how travel outside Lucerne or abroad is charged, or how far ahead to book. The engagement shoot and the photo booth are named but not described. These are the questions for the first conversation he offers.

Who It Suits

Roman Beer suits couples marrying in or around Lucerne who want a flexible arrangement, from a full-day reportage to just the ceremony and apéro, or simply a portrait session in the old town, on Pilatus or Rigi, or by the lake. The English page makes him an easy first contact for couples from abroad, and his offer to help find other suppliers is valuable to anyone who does not know the local market. The studio adds a further option: an engagement or portrait session under controlled light, regardless of weather.

The caveats are the missing numbers. With no published prices, deliverables or delivery times, a couple should ask for a written offer that covers hours, image count, delivery and travel before booking. And since weddings are one part of a broad commercial practice, it is worth asking to see complete wedding galleries, not only individual shots.