Interview with Sjoerd Bracke interview

Exploring the world with travel photographer Sjoerd Bracke

Sjoerd Bracke was perhaps destined to become a travel photographer. From a young age, his family took him to places like Ecuador, Vietnam, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, sparking a passion for exploration in him.

But it was later, when he began working in marketing, that he developed an eye for great photography. “I always saw photos as something beautiful — something that helped brands make meaningful content and tell real stories.”

His photography journey began during a six-month trip to Southeast Asia in 2017, when he was looking for a way to stay active. "I don’t like sitting around doing nothing," he says. "So at the times when my girlfriend was relaxing, I picked up a camera and started learning photography."

Using social media for learning & sharing

It was through Instagram that Sjoerd saw the possibilities of photography as a profession. "I started seeing other photographers capture incredible scenes in the same places I was visiting. The difference in quality made me realize how much I had to learn," he reflects.

Sjoerd began improving his skills and posting the results on Instagram. By the end of his trip, he had built a following and was receiving opportunities for paid work.

Today, his Instagram page continues to help him. “If you’re a content creator with an audience, it’s even better deal for the client to hire you,” he explains.

Going professional at the most unlikely moment

Sjoerd officially went professional during one of the most challenging times possible — the coronavirus pandemic. “I quit my job in 2020 to go traveling in South America. But two and a half months later, the pandemic hit, and I had to go home.”

“When I got back to the Netherlands, I had no job, and no companies were hiring. So I had to take my photography from a hobby to a business.”

Sjoerd then got to work seeking clients in his country. While travel has always been his main focus, he also branched out into commercial and product photography to support his vision.

How to find travel photography clients

Finding work as a photographer isn’t just about having a great portfolio; it’s about being proactive. Sjoerd uses his marketing skills to reach out to brands that he wants to work with.

“I never contact companies and ask them if they need a photographer,” he explains. “Instead, I try to look at what problems I can solve for them. What marketing campaigns are they doing? What product launches do they have coming up? What’s the country focusing on at the moment?”

“For example, during the pandemic, Switzerland was focusing on traveling by car on your own. So that gave me an idea for a photo campaign that would help companies promote mountain holidays for solo travellers.”

Combining photography skills with business strategies

Once he has a sales pitch ready to go, Sjoerd contacts potential clients on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.

“I think that people are sometimes afraid to talk to companies, especially when it's a company they're really looking up to. But think about this — even a big global company probably has just a single manager responsible for marketing in your country. They’re very busy, and they want to go home on Friday night.”

“If you present them with a complete solution that they can just say yes or no to, you’re solving a big problem for them.” Sjoerd’s proactive approach to finding work has helped him grow his client base and achieve the freedom he now enjoys.

Career highlight: photographing gorillas in Uganda

One of Sjoerd’s standout moments in his photography career was returning to Uganda, where he had visited as a child. "I got asked to go to Uganda by a magazine in the Netherlands. Going back there to capture gorillas was a dream come true," he recalls. "I had visited before, but this time, I was able to fully document the experience through photography."

The chance to return to Uganda and work professionally on this subject marked a significant milestone in his career. "I spent time with local people, travelled across beautiful landscapes, and captured moments that meant something to me," Sjoerd reflects.

This project, along with his other work in Africa, helped solidify his standing as a professional travel photographer.

Facing the biggest challenges of being a travel photographer

As in-demand travel photographer, Sjoerd’s biggest challenge has been maintaining his passion while managing his business.

“One of the toughest things for me is that my hobby turned into work. Through my projects I get opportunities to travel for free and stay in nicer hotels. If I have the choice between doing that and paying to travel myself, it makes sense to do the projects. But at the end of the day, I’m working rather than doing my hobby — although I’m still super grateful for all of it.”

Sjoerd has recently become a father, and this is bringing new challenges to his travel-centric lifestyle. “We’re still able to travel, and seeing her smile along the way is special. But it’s changing my attitude, too. I don’t want to be away from home so much.”

Discovering Angelbird & the Collective

Sjoerd’s connection with Angelbird began when he was talking with a local import company in the Netherlands. “They said ‘we have this product, and it’s the Bentley of storage solutions.’ It was Angelbird, and I ended up working on photos for their marketing content in the Netherlands.”

As someone who travels to challenging environments, Sjoerd appreciates the reliability of Angelbird cards. "It’s so important when you’re working in places where there is dust, or heat, or water, or cold. It’s great to know I won’t ever have a problem with my cards.”

Sjoerd uses Angelbird CFexpress™ 2.0 Type B cards, Micro SD cards, card readers and SSD drives. “The cards are fast and can handle burst photography very well. But as a travel photographer, I love that the card readers and SSD drives are super lightweight and small. Also, filming in 8K or 120FPS when needed works easily!”

Finding the right gear for remote shoots

Being a Canon Netherlands ambassador, Sjoerd uses the Canon R5 Mark II, with his go-to lenses being the 24-70mm and 70-200mm, both essential for capturing landscapes and wildlife. In addition, he uses a 100-500mm lens when on safari. For more specific projects, he relies on his 50mm F1.2.

Sjoerd also uses the DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Mini Pro 3 drones. However, he tries to bring as little camera gear as possible. “You don't want to have a heavy backpack whilst being on a longer trip. So I like to just bring my 1 TB or 2 TB cards in my camera, and that’s it.”  To keep his workflow efficient without adding weight, he relies on the compact and lightweight Angelbird SSD and card readers, allowing for quick backups and smooth data handling on the go.

Learning photography on the job: the importance of continual improvement

Sjoerd didn’t attend a photography school or take courses, instead learning mostly by doing. "I’m constantly learning, whether it's new techniques or better business strategies," he says. "You have to be willing to keep pushing your boundaries."

He emphasizes that practical experience is invaluable in photography. "It’s all about trial and error. The more you shoot, the more you learn. I’ve had to find my own style and improve my skills every day."

Finding inspiration in unexplored places

For Sjoerd, travel is still the greatest source of inspiration in his work — in particular, the connections he makes with people around the world. "Of course, it’s great to try new food or see an incredible mountain,” he adds. “But the people you meet are often what makes or breaks the trip.”

While he has seen a lot of the word, Sjoerd still has a drive to keep exploring, and documenting what he finds.

“I always try to just look a little further and go to places that the average person might not. Because the moment a place becomes touristy, it’s not real anymore. I want that raw, pure experience — and that’s what I’m always looking for.”

What creative freedom looks like to Sjoerd

“Creative freedom is about being able to choose the jobs that I want to do,” Sjoerd explains. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this too loud, because in future I could end up in a place where I have to take jobs just for the money. But for now, I can choose whatever I want and create whatever I want.”

However, Sjoerd is also quick to add that being a photographer is not easy. While he has a lot of choice, he also has to work hard to maintain his business.

“I’m working all the time, but I'm having fun all the time, so I really like my work. So that's maybe the best type of creative freedom. When you like the work you do, you don't see it as work.”

Big thanks to Sjoerd Bracke for being part of the Angelbird Collective. We look forward to seeing what you do next as you enjoy creative freedom — without limits.

Connect with Sjoerd online:

Website

Instagram