Today we have the owner of Kings and Thieves Benjamin Urquhart, an incredible creative and inspiration for photographers across the world. He has such a unique perspective on the business and creativity, one which he’s used to mentor some of my personal close friends in the industry. Ben is a busy man and I was super stoked to have him on the pod with us today.

What we chatted about

Where he’s based and his multi use office space

His micro-wedding business

Challenges of working from home and evolving the business

Rolling photography into his laid back wedding business

How constraints can forge creativity

How Ben created his style and his want to create a shift in the industry

Leaning into his own style after not feeling like himself in his work

Showing up as a person rather than just a photographer

His process working with couples

Time allocation at weddings

Going with the flow on shoot

Focus on light vs subject

His work vs ‘generic’ work - the power of being human

Getting your couple started without pushing to pose

His stance on advice with weddings - making them feel as little stress as possible

How he charges his services without getting too heavy

How his price guide has helped with the quality of his leads

Adjusting times to give better photos - why lighting matters

Helping people to create a wedding they actually want

Learning to channel your inspiration to fuel your creative voice

Does Ben ever think he’ll do video?

Are his boudoir sessions just for clients or for anyone?

His feelings on creativity during the boudoir sessions

My biggest takeaway

What struck me about Ben was his adaptability and raw creativity. Finding opportunities for businesses in his work space, expanding his range into the boudoir sessions and encouraging couples to push the boundaries of what their weddings can be. Looking and being open to opportunity is a key tenet which can really set you apart from being a good photographer to being an awesome one.

Links mentioned in the pod

Kings & Thieves website https://www.kingsandthieves.com.au/

Kings & Thieves Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kingsandthiev.es/

His personal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benjamin_urquhart_/

My website https://ryanteague.co/

My Instagram (for guest DMs) https://www.instagram.com/ryanteague.co/