Meet Jeffrey Moustache: Commercial Photographer, Aerial Lighting Pioneer and 5X World Beard and Moustache Champion

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeffrey Moustache and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeffrey, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Over the past decade my work/ life balance has changed dramatically, When I was fresh out of college and moved to Los Angeles, I was fortunate enough to have jumped on to a television series working as their photographer and shortly after was promoted to director of photography and one of the lead camera operators. I was young and eager to work on any and every project thrown my way not really understanding the business aspect of what I was doing and not properly pricing my value, thus leading to being taken advantage of in the long run. Over the years looking back it is easy to spot. and point out but back then I was so excited to just be working on anything that that was my entire life, shooting. I would work all day on a job, then in my days off I would bring my. camera out with me and shoot with my friends and continue to work, which is great for honing your style, perfecting your craft and improving and expanding your clients but I was not looking at the big picture of the future. Now over a decade later, especially after getting married, braving this pandemic, and having my first child this past year my priorities have shifted immensely and my work life balance is more focused on the long run, planning what is best for my family and their well being and knowing the value and numbers that only come with time and experience to properly budget and price my estimates on jobs. I try to set aside ample time to spend with my family and days where I do not do any computer work to share with my wife and daughter because if this pandemic has taught me anything, it is that the time you spend with your family is more important than taking on another gig.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The majority of my work focuses around commercial advertising as well as film and television production. I think. what sets me. apart is the. fact that I tend to use very little photoshop and pride myself in my advanced use of practical lighting. I prefer to create images in camera and light accordingly to make my images as dramatic or natural as possible without feeling as if they. are fake. My most recent ongoing series is “The World of Beards” following the competitive bearding culture across the World over the past decade doing portraits of the competitors. I have since photographed (and competed in/ won) the past 5 World Beard Championships and have created a photo book outlining the 19 different category styles which are represented on the world level. The images have been featured in multiple magazines and gallery exhibits across the World including Lac Annecy, France, Lagos, Portugal, Atlanta, GA and Los Angeles, CA. My website for the book is www.TheWorldofBeards.com. None of the work I have been able to do has come easily, it takes hard work and dedication to hone your craft and even more work behind the computer marketing, branding, and advertising to help make yourself stand out from every other photographer and even be able to work full time. I have learned along the way that you are only as good as the last job you worked on and sometimes not even that. Brands want to see what your passion projects are and how they can incorporate them into their next campaign. I strive to make each shoot I do better than the previous, whether it be perfecting my lighting, honing my directing abilities when working with talent or working on my PR and marketing with new companies. I always want to make sure each and every person I work with is satisfied and has a great time while working with me to build a relationship not just while at work but outside of the job as well,

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start by having a brunch at Cultivate food and coffee to get some amazing chicken and waffles, then head over to piedmont park to walk it off. Then I would swing by 4th ward skatepark for a bit to blow off some steam and hop on the beltline down to krog street market area and grab a beer. I live up in alpharetta so I would have to also showcase the Avalon as well. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout my wife for her love and support as being there to help push my business further and help me to demand respect for the value in which I am worth. I would also like to shout out my High school photography teacher whom is no longer with us, Sharon Jacobus, who was my first mentor and showed me the magic of photography when I was an impressionable teenager. Without her encouragement I would not be where I am today.

Website: www.JeffreyMoustache.com
Instagram: @JMoustache
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmoustache/
Twitter: @JMoustache
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyMoustachePhotography
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JMoustache
Other: https://vimeo.com/user18488510

Image Credits
all images © Jeffrey Moustache