Owner of Capcha videographer and photographer - Ben McKay seamlessly blends his passion for storytelling with a keen eye for design. As a creative force specialising in high-end building and architectural projects, Ben captures the essence of space and structure through his lens.
Q. Can you tell us about CAPCHA and what your role is?
CAPCHA is a video production agency based in Sydney, NSW. We specialise in creating story driven content, showcasing some of Sydney’s most unique architectural and design based projects. I’m the founder, director and lead videographer.
Q. How do you approach telling a story or conveying emotion through your content , especially in challenging or unfamiliar environments?
We always try to extract as much prior information from the client regarding the project prior to shooting. I want to know everything about it, all the intricate details, materiality, history - tell me everything. All these details help us create a story and a narrative with impact.
Q. Are there any particular subjects or themes you’re drawn to repeatedly, and what draws you to them?
Being an architectural based agency, we're continually drawn to the countless unique builds that Sydney and surrounds has to offer.
Curves, clean lines, sculptural builds, something with character we love it all.
We also draw a lot of inspiration from the people involved in these builds. Their stories and reasoning behind specific design choices really help us elevate the narratives we produce.
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to develop a unique voice in their work?
As the content creation landscape is so saturated, it can be easy to fall into the trap of following trends and creating similar content to everyone else because it performs well.
Try to create your own unique content as much as possible. People buy into people- if you create content that is likeable, unique and authentic to you - people resonate with that.
Q. Who is your aspiration in the world of photography/videography and why?
I wouldn’t say we have an aspiration as we want to put our own flare on the content we create- that said we are continually inspired by the likes of The Local Project, Est Living and Vogue Living.
Q. What’s a common misconception people have about professional photography?
That it’s a get rich quick career path.
The first few years I dived into this scene I made little to no money. I worked a second job for years to keep funding my photography and aspirations.
I’ve had my bank accounts hit zero twice try to get the agency off the ground and learning the ins and outs of business along the way.
It’s a hustle at times but to get anywhere in the creative world you have to put in the ground work and back yourself through the tough patches. The effort pays dividends!
What does your typical morning consist of – take us into your world
Up at 5/5:30am, Coffee, then straight to the gym, running around the beaches where I live, or off to an early shoot.
Consistently training whether it be weights or running has seriously changed the way I run the agency. If you work as hard on yourself as you do in your business I believe you’ll go places.
Then back home for some breaky then hitting the ground running! Our weeks are normally filled with productions across Sydney or more recently interstate and internationally.
We’ve got some exciting things happening in 2025.
What is your current jam? (music)
Depends on the day. This week has been a mix of the following:
Jackie B, Sault, Cleo Sol and Charley Crockett
We’re always looking for inspiration through the music we listen to. The vibes are all pretty different haha !!
What are you looking forward to this year?
Bigger projects , bigger productions and bringing in more people to deliver value for our clients.
One part I love about this line of work is getting to mix with so many talented, creative people who each bring their own unique flare and skills to every project we engage in.
It’s so fulfilling seeing a project through and watching the Final Cut with the people who helped shape it.
Where would we find you on a typical Friday night?
More recently at home enjoying a bottle of La Rossa from Doom Juice with a t/a pizza from my favourite Queen Margarita. The past few weeks have been pretty intense as we rapidly grow so I try to keep pretty low key on the weeks and reset, train and recalibrate for the next week.
What’s in your online shopping cart or wish list?
DJI Mavic 3 Cine - Would take our aerial work to another level!
What’s your most beloved dish to cook or place to dine?
At home, can’t go past a grass fed sirloin on the bbq with some chimichurri.
My favourite eat recently is Vinnys' Bread and Wine - a small deli style sandwich shop in the heart of the Shire.
The focaccia they make fresh daily is the best I’ve ever had. Thursday/ Friday nights they collaborate with the pizza restaurant next door and do Vino and tappa’s, shall I say more 😮💨
Quickfire - this or that! 🔥
Sneakers or Boots? CAN’T PICK HAH! Have been Loving my Blundstones recently though!
Tea or coffee (or margs!)? coffee always, margs when it’s hot (and lots of them)
Sun or snow? Actually haven’t hit the snow yet so I’m opting for Sun. Best lighting for our shoots too haha!
Thrift store or designer? A combo of the two is gold. I love mixing vintage pieces with high fashion items / golden goose with vintage denims, tee’s etc. something with a story.
Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise. No better way to start your day than waking up with the world.
You can follow Ben on Instagram @_ben_mckay / @capcha_au and learn more about the photography industry.