I have a confession to make. I first came across Kurt Tilse’s Instagram account Kjtilse via his girlfriend Sarah’s Day… but I was quick to make the crossover to following them both. Delivering all kinds of couple goals, these two will constantly have you feeling all the lols – while at the same time inspiring you to convert from a Maccas muncher to a clean eating fitspo machine.
A former carpenter-turned-creative, we’re going to take a punt here and say Kurt is producing images and videos that prove his talents far beyond anything you’d be able to find in a workroom. So much so that he’s been tapped by an award-winning creative agency as their inhouse content creator.
So what’s the secret to his success? Well… we’re taking a look at that and more (lots more) as we dig behind the feed to discover more on the life and times of Kurt Tilse…
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Tully Smyth, Alex Centomo, and Trendy Chickadee.
1. Age and height? I am 28 years old and 183cm tall
2. Best grooming product of all time? It’s basically just a hair clay I found at woolies, the brand is Dominate – Out of Bed Strengthening Clay. Super dry messy look, I love it!
3. Putting products in your hair or leaving it au naturale? Usually use the product above
4. Favourite scent? ARMANI CODE
5. Favourite item of clothing? Black ripped jeans ERRY DAY!
6. Favourite fashion brand? I honestly don’t really have one brand, I just like whatever looks cool. I usually love anything oversized, street style with a mix of #boss… does that even make sense?
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? I do love training outside, but I do most of my sessions in a gym
8. How much time is spent exercising outdoors each week? Once per week, unless you include surfing as training haha, but that’s kind of a hobby to me
9. Arms or legs? Arms… what… it’s easier!
10. Yoga or running? I have only ever done yoga a handful of times, but I enjoy it more than running
11. Healthy eating or treating yourself? #healthyeating yo
12. Can you cook? Hahaha um, no
13. Favourite food? Pizza #cheatday
14. Favourite drink? Coconut water
15. Best place to eat out? Grind coffee in Cronulla, I’m a coffee snob over foodie
16. Happiest moment? Well, that’s a super broad question… I used to be a carpenter and would dread waking up every morning to go to work. I guess my happiest moment would have to be hanging up the tool belt for the last time to pursue a career I genuinely love (photography / content creator)!
17. Saddest moment? My lowest point would have been the transition between carpenter and photographer – racking up a tax debt, some weeks not being able to afford rent, and only having enough money for rice and canned tuna… Haha, it got rough!
18. Instagram or Snapchat? What’s Snapchat… jokes haha. Instagram of course
19. Blog or YouTube? YouTube
20. Iphone or camera? CAMERA!!
21. Type of camera? I currently still use a Canon 5d Miii, but I am due for an upgrade. Don’t tell my girlfriend Sarah, but I’m looking at the Canon 1DX Mii
22. Facetune or untouched? I usually do my retouching in Photoshop if the client requests that kind of style. But for my personal images (that I use on my IG), I’m more of a Lightroom guy and love to play with colour
23. Lightroom or VSCO? I use Lightroom, you have a lot more control with what you can do
24. Favourite filter? I have created my own Lightroom presets
25. Favourite way to edit pics? Usually for images of my self, I like them to look masculine. A bit darker, desaturated greens, bump up the contrast, richen the blues and warmth the temperature
26. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? I am a content creator/photographer for an integrated marketing agency Magnum and Co three days a week and the rest of the week I work for myself
27. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? I mean, dating a full time YouTuber and Instagrammer definitely gave me a leg up in terms of followers – but nowadays it’s just a platform where I share my own life, story and photography!
28. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? Honestly, every photo is different. Some of my campaign or product imagery can take a full day or two (not to mention the amount of planning that goes into them), whereas others could be spare of the moment shots taken on my day-to-day adventures. It really varies!
29. And what about an average video on your YouTube channel? How much time goes into that? Well, usually around a day or two filming and about eight to ten hours editing, depending on how creative I want to go in post production
30. What’s your top Instagram tip? Stay true to yourself and create what you love. I know what pictures are going to go better than others in terms of likes – but I just want to post things that I think are cool or that I think are going to inspire others, whether that be my fitness training, project come-back, “cough, cough, this is happening now…”, or creating a behind the scenes post of how I create a particular image
31. Career highlight since being an influencer? I wouldn’t say necessarily an influencer, but more so my business as a creative would be directing, producing and editing a TVC for a health and wellbeing online store based in America. I was lucky enough to travel to Byron to shoot the campaign and it was genuinely a career highlight I’ll never forget! The elements turned out perfect, everything went to plan, and the imagery was exactly how I had envisioned it
32. Career lowlight since being an influencer? N/a
33. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? Definitely creating the launch video and photo for my girlfriend Sarah releasing her active wear range through White Fox Boutique. It’s so amazing being able to work with her, we both get really excited about creative ideas, super driven, and perfectionist
34. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? About a month ago I dressed up in tights, wore a Skins top rolled up, acted like Sarah, and created a smoothie on her YouTube channel, haha. The next week I received a big package from 2XU saying: “Here are some new tights so you don’t have to wear Sarah’s…” Haha, I thought it was funny!
35. Last thing you googled? How to relink file path in Final Cut X… Haha, well I sound like a massive tech geek!
36. Favourite film? It’s a kids movie: ‘Surf’s Up’ or ‘Kung Fu Panda’. I am a child at heart!
37. Favourite song? Sandstorm, haha always gets the party started!
38. Favourite band? Bon Iver, they are amazing
39. Living in the city or living by the beach? Beach!!!
40. Favourite travel destination? Japan – who doesn’t love waist deep powder?
41. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? I’m such a grandpa now, I would rather dinner with friends
42. Partner or single? Partner
43. Siblings? I have a bother (Kyle) and a sister (Vanessa)
44. What city are you currently living in? Sydney
45. Celebrity crush? Mila Kunis
46. Pets? No (sad face). We want a dog but our landlord won’t let us have one
47. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @kookslams (for the lols), @menwithstreetstyle (for fashion inspo), @redbull (because it’s epic), @garyvee (entrepreneur inspo), @stevecook
48. Favourite quote you live by? Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery – but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present
49. Top career tip? Find a career that genuinely inspires you to continually do better. “The Hustle” does eventually pay off, take every opportunity by the horns and tear that shit apart!
50. Where are you hoping influencing takes you? I continually want to work on bigger projects – work alongside marketers and brands to create more creative content. I am currently working on a few self projects which I am super excited about watching them grow!
All images by Kjtilse
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