The Monthly Souz May Edition

Relationships Matter, especially when you cannot be out and about building and fostering new ones face to face. My greatest joy has always been meeting new people and sharing my network. During these crazy times and in-between home schooling, I am spending more time connecting with old and new friends.

A close friend Malcolm Martin, who I met over a decade ago through my friend John Legend, introduced me to a friend of his Jeffrey Bucari about 2 years ago. Jeffrey is a fashion & lifestyle photographer. As with all my initial meetings, I met Jeffrey for a scotch at the Mandarin Oriental ??. What I thought would be a quick 30 min drink turned into over an hour of great convo and more scotch ??. Jeffrey was not just clearly going to be a new client of mine but also a friend. No arrogance, no chip on his shoulder, humble as pie. Talent is hard to find but talent who you can trust and count on is really a HIDDEN GEM ??

I hope you enjoy the interview and one day get an opportunity to meet and or work with this “Hidden Gem"

Q&A with Jeffrey Bucari

How did you get into the industry?

In the 90s, I got my first real break in the industry shooting the supermodels for the Elite Modeling Agency calendar, which led to my first fashion campaign for the American designer, Albert Nipon. However, during the digital revolution (2006-2008), when numerous photographers lost their careers, I needed to find a way to survive. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself where I became the in-house director of photography for Cody Inc. There, I was able to hone my talent shooting products for a global beauty company. In 2016, I opened my own studio Jeffrey Bucari Photography Inc. in midtown Manhattan.

Why do your clients choose you?

My goal as a photographer is to make things look more beautiful than they do in real life. When I step on set, I apply this goal to whatever is in front of my camera. Clients can rely that a quality job will get done and their timeline will be met. In my studio, I like to have an open, comfortable space for my clients to work. While working, I bring a positive attitude mixed with a dash of humor on set while keeping my clients engaged. At the end of the day, I know that everyone’s lives are busy and stressful; a photoshoot should not add to that.

Who are some of the clients you worked for?

I have worked for a wide range of clients in the industry; however, I am mostly known in the beauty industry for shooting fragrance and cosmetics for companies such as Marc Jacobs (just recently shot his newest fragrance that will launch around Christmas), Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein. Other categories I shoot for are skincare - Philosophy, haircare - Bumble & Bumble, apparel, food, plus wine and spirits. Also, thanks to you Robert, and your vast network of friends, I’ve recently had the opportunity to shoot the KITH Estee Lauder collaboration.

How are you managing the business during COVID-19?

During this time full-production studios are temporarily closed, thus working with models, large crews and big productions can’t safely happen. However, my studio is fully equipped to handle many types of still-life and eCommerce shoots. Also, I can shoot completely alone and if needed, I can hire an assistant while taking safety precautions.

That’s great, so how would the clients send their products to you and approve the photography, if they are never coming to the studio?

Companies' need for content has not changed, they are just struggling to figure out what has to be done and what can actually be done. In order to obtain a client’s product for me to shoot, either this can happen: First, a company can ship their product(s) to my home where there is a doorman to receive any deliveries or shipments. Second, if it's in the general New York City area, I do own a car and we could arrange a time and pickup location. This method will also be used to return the product(s).

Since everyone is working remotely and clients would not physically be coming to the studio, I will be offering screen sharing. So, the client can interact with me in real-time, see their shots on their screen as I take them, and make any changes if needed. Having a tool like this is great because they will art direct as if they were on set.

What advice would you give to my audience on how to choose a photographer?

I would advise anybody:

1. Have a clear idea of the shots you want to achieve.
2. Know your budgetary constraints.
3. Make sure one’s vision and style are compatible with the photographer’s style.
4. Most importantly, seek out recommendations.

Based on your experience, what are the techniques you use that build and maintain client relationships?

Throughout my career, I have acquired most of my new accounts through recommendations from pre-existing relationships proving how valuable one's entire network is to a successful career. Therefore, to track conversations from clients, I create a spreadsheet. This system tracks my client’s current job, my work history with them, and means of communication (email, phone, etc.). Whenever possible, I also like to interact and engage with my clients on a more personal level such as through social media or email. Ultimately, I don’t like to make all conversations transactional.

The Monthly Souz newsletter was launched in 2018 as a way for my network, which has been built over 30 years, to see what my clients do and how everyone can mutually benefit from each other. We reserve some of our best content for members on this list.

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