Welcome to #obsessed. This is the fifth episode in a series of conversations with our Thrive Brighton 2026 speakers. Just honest, in-depth chats about the work, the thinking, and what drives some of the most interesting photographers working in weddings today.
But first - I need to tell you why this podcast is called #obsessed.
A little while ago I was sitting at a conference in London, and the speaker put up a slide showing comment after comment on wedding photographers’ Instagram posts, all saying the same thing. Obsessed. Obsessed. I’m obsessed. I laughed so hard because yes, I am guilty - and once you’ve seen it, you cannot unsee it. I have been in full obsessed recovery ever since.
That speaker was my next guest.
Jackson Grant is a Melbourne-based wedding photographer and filmmaker who has been shooting since 2014 and has built one of the most deliberately unconventional practices in the industry. He grew up sitting in the back of his mum’s florist shop in Albury/Wodonga, dropped out of university one week in, and shot his first wedding for his friend Tara by calling in sick to his actual job. He describes himself as a queer smartarse and confident risk taker who has won zero awards and should probably clean his camera sensor.
We talked about his fascination with people, why he hates the word candid with a passion, how he thinks about championing every single person in the room rather than just the couple, and why slowing down is the single best thing he has done for his business.
Find Jackson here:Website: jacksongrantweddings.comInstagram: @jacksongrantweddings
The Image Jackson Wished He’d Taken
At the end of every #obsessed conversation I ask the same question: what’s the image you wish you’d taken?
Jackson chose a photograph of the lead singer from Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, shot by US photographer Jamie Nelson. The image is arresting - Amy Taylor captured with all double denim and energy, atop a pink building.
What makes Jackson’s answer so him is that he didn’t choose it just because it’s a great photograph. He chose it because his brain immediately went somewhere else with it. He used to go to Amy Taylor’s house parties back in Melbourne when the band was not so well known, and when he saw this image, his first thought was what he would have done differently. Straight on, fisheye lens - imagine!
Join us at Thrive
Thrive is Photography Farm’s conference for wedding photographers, and this year we’re in Brighton on the 20th and 21st of October 2026. Jackson will be there in person - speaking and shooting alongside our full lineup of speakers.
If you want to be in the room, tickets are on sale now and the code OBSESSED10 gets you 10% off all tickets.
