the one behind the lens

A Carpenter Who Picked Up a Camera

Back in 2015, I started out as a carpenter, working alongside builders and tradies all over the Toowoomba region. I got to see the hustle, the long hours, and the pride that goes into every project.

Somewhere along the way, around the end of Covid lockdowns I picked up a camera, and that changed everything.

What started as a creative outlet quickly turned into a full-blown passion for videography and photography. I realised just how powerful good visuals could be, especially for construction businesses who often don't get the credit they deserve.

That's when Cortex Media was born.

Why I started Cortex

I'd watched the same thing happen on a few too many job sites. An agency videographer would rock up in chinos, barely say a word to the crew, take some pretty pictures, send through a slick edit a fortnight later and nothing would change.

The work didn't drive any business. The phone didn't ring any louder. The crew felt awkward the whole time and the boss never booked another shoot.

Tradies and builders don't need pretty pictures. They need content that actually wins them work. That's the gap Cortex Media was built to fill.

Built by a Tradie, For Tradies

I officially started Cortex Media in 2023 and ran it alongside my carpentry work until 2025, when I went full-time on the camera. That means every job site I walk onto, I've already worked one like it. I've swung the hammer, poured the slab, framed the wall, and run the crew.

I know what's about to happen before it happens, I know which shot is going to make the cut, and I know how to get a tradie to relax in front of a camera — usually because we're already mid-conversation about the job before I've pulled the camera out.

Here's what that means for you on a shoot day:

I show up in steel-caps and hi-vis, white card on me. Not chinos. Site managers and crews don't have to babysit me.
I work around your job, not the other way around. Your crew keeps working. I get the shots in the gaps.
I can have a yarn with the boys and make them feel comfortable on camera. No "say cheese", no awkward poses. The footage looks real because the moments are real.
I read job sites the way I read a set of plans. I know what a good shot looks like before it happens, because I've been the bloke doing the work in it.
I make content that's built to win you work. Not pretty pictures that sit on a hard drive.

What You Can Expect

I run Cortex Media the same way the best tradies I've worked with run their businesses:

Show up when I said I would. Every time.
Charge what I quoted. No surprises on the invoice.
Deliver work that does the job. If it doesn't help you book better clients, I haven't done my part.

Hayden's Mug - Cameraboy Co -6_edited.jpg

Lets Have a Chat

If you're a tradie, builder, or blue collar business owner and you've read this far, there's a good chance we'd work well together. Drop your details in the form below and I'll get back to you personally, usually same day.