Visual Storytelling
Editorial and Commercial
René van Bakel is an all-rounder. His many years of experience, which he has gained in over 80 countries, enables him to help you visualize your story in order to show your audience what is important for you, your marketing concept, your company, or your publication. His photographic work has been published in major global media such as National Geographic, New York Times, Le Figaro, Vogue, and many others.
He started out as a passionate storytelling photographer more than 20 years ago. Over the years, and after additional education, he has also manifested himself as a journalist, book author, (video) blogger, and workshop leader in Italy (visual storytelling). In addition, he founded the international image and text agency ASAblanca in Vienna, of which he was the operational managing director for six years before selling his shares.
Creating visuals remains his passion, and he not only applies it to his book projects but also to visualizing marketing strategies and advertising campaigns.
From 2018 onwards, René increasingly incorporated video into his storytelling, and in 2019, he expanded his expertise by becoming an EU-certified UAS pilot, including certification for large drones up to 25 kg. This skill set greatly contributed to the development of his YouTube channel.
Since 2022, René has been working as an external lecturer at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, teaching Visual Storytelling in the Master’s program in Digital Photography.
Specialities:
3-D Visual Content Creation Projects (Photo, Video, Drone) for Companies/Corporations, Movie Projects, Portraits, Home-Stories, Weddings, Architecture, Travel/Art/Culture, Hotels & Hospitality, Event Coverage.
Location:
Based in Vienna and Eichgraben (Vienna Forest), Austria.
We are happy to take on any kind of Visual Storytelling Project/Assignment for you in any location worldwide.
Bio:
René van Bakel, born in the Netherlands in 1966; lives and works in Vienna. 1992 graduated vocational education photography. 1993 Press office of Dutch Ministry of Defense photographing for (inter)national media and internal magazines/newspaper. Traveled in many war and crisis areas (e.g. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, the Arabian Gulf) produced features in over 70 countries worldwide. 1995 Winner Photoarm Sibiu, international award for war correspondents (reportage on Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina). 1998 commercial/portrait studio near Eindhoven (NLD). 2002 created travel, lifestyle, culinary, art, culture, scientific features and exclusive portraits for media. First mainly in Italy then globally. More than 20 years experience as a photographer, writer and book author. 2009 nominated for the prestigious Austrian “Objektiv Photography Award”, category “Art & Culture” (portrait of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra). 2012 founded the agency ASAblanca in Vienna together with Gerhard Hinterleitner. 2018 René has sold his shares in ASAblanca to Gerhard Hinterleitner to be able to focus more on his book projects, photographic assignments and his family.
Selected Publications:
New York Times, LA Times, VOGUE Germany, Le Figaro (France), Liberation (France), GEO, National Geographic, Forbes, Bloomberg Markets New York, The Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times, Preview Dubai, Stern, Newsweek, Capital (G+J), Universum Magazine, Der Standard/Rondo, das Profil, News, Woman, Die Presse, Die Zeit, Wienerin, Servus Magazine, Falstaff, Der Tagesanzeiger, Freizeit/Kurier, Algemeen Dagblad, G-photo world news (Japan), US Air Force, SQ-Magazine, Life Style Magazine, The Art of Living, Executive Magazine, Residence, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF
Selected Clients:
Superfund, Vapiano, ÖBB, AIT, Ö-Post AG, Agrana, Magna Steyr, FFG, BMVIT, Rolex, Austrian Airlines, Spanish Riding School Vienna, TNT, DHL, NÖM, ÖBF, Merkur, Stiegl, Gösser, Nike, VDL Group, Philips Medical Systems, ING, Rabobank, Campina, Fokker, Schiphol
Selected Portraits:
Andrea Bocelli, Fernando Botero, Queen Beatrix, President Bill Clinton, Sharon Stone, King Willem Alexander, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Stefan Ruzowitzky, Frances Mayes, Pamela Anderson, Pope Benedict XVI, Marlies Schild, Hannes Reichelt, Michael Ostrowski, Barbara Stöckl, Dominic Meyer, Heinz Kinigardner, Robert Palfrader, Simply Red, Nena, Kris Kristofferson, Patty Smith, Julia Dujmovits, Gerda Rogers, Florian Scheuba, Nadja Bernhard, Rudi Rubinek, Nicole Beutler, Dörte Lyssewski, Christian Konrad, President Heinz Fischer, The Weather Girls
Selected Books:
„SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL 450 years“ photographic volume (Edition Lammerhuber) 2015 click here for the book !
„Mein Waldviertel“ 2014 Culinary/Travel/Culture about the Austrian Woodquarter. Published by Styria Books/Pichler Verlag (www.styriabooks.at)
„So schmeckt das Weinviertel“ 2013 Culinary/Travel/Culture about the Austrian Wine Quarter. Published by Styria Books/Pichler Verlag (www.styriabooks.at)
„Tussen hamer en aambeeld“ 1996 (Between hammer and anvil) about the critical situation both the people of Srebrnica and the Dutch battalion found themselves in shortly before the massacre of Srebrenica in 1996.
„Care provided“ 1994 about the care being provided in Goma to the 1 million refugees of the war between the Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.
Exhibitions:
Vienna | Austria DOLCE ETRURIA – FLEMINGs 2021
Cortona | Italy at La Fortezza del Girifalco 2019
Vienna | Austria The Etruscan Spirit 2018
Vienna | Austria (Objektiv) 2009
Fabbriche di Vallicho (Lucca) | Italy 2004
Deurne | Netherlands 2003
Cannes | France 2002
Eindhoven | Netherlands 2001
Arnheim | Netherlands 1999
Sydney | Australia 1998
Den Haag | Netherlands 1996
Selected Awards:
Both for his book: SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL 450 years