SIYU personal

The Zurich photographer (1967*) is a career changer with a varied professional, personal and linguistic background. Born in Portugal, grew up in Switzerland, completed his schooling in Dutch and is also active in sign language, Niels worked internationally in banking as a portfolio manager and key account manager. The break came in 2015: today he works as a freelance photographer, coach and course instructor at the Swiss Photo Club.
 
Niels not only gives SIYU an insight into his photographic work with people with disabilities, he also talks about his coaching courses for budding photographers and the topics he considers important. This much can be revealed - it's not photography. 
 
You used to work in banking, now you work as a photographer, course instructor and coach. What made you decide to become self-employed? My passion for photography and the changes in working life are of central importance to me. The focus is on people - an aspect that I can express and realise far better both as a photographer and as a coach than in my previous professional activity.

Profession as a vocation?  For me, profession and vocation are inextricably linked. I find my true ‘calling’ in photography. I still describe myself as an amateur, as the word ‘amateur’ comes from amator (lover) - and I love what I do.
 
Does your previous professional experience help you today? Absolutely, it enables me to teach not only the photographic technique, but also the business aspects. I therefore support my protégés not only on an artistic level, but also on a business level.
 
What are the most important topics in your coaching courses? In addition to the artistic and technical aspects of photography, I also focus on business topics - in particular the role of the photographer as an entrepreneur. This includes questions of remuneration and hourly rates, accounting, insurance and choosing the right type of business. Photographers should deal with these topics in more depth.
 
You also work with people with trisomy 21. How can photography support them? There are many photographers who take pictures of people who don't conform to the social norm. But when I teach these people how to take pictures, they get the opportunity to show us their own perspective on the world. This not only benefits them, but also those around them. Because by learning photography, those around them can better understand what moves and touches people with disabilities.
 
Your motto in life is: ‘All people are beautiful’. What is the connection to your photography? Everyone is beautiful, and I see it as my job as a photographer to show this beauty to the world. For me, the art of photography lies precisely in this - not through filters or Photoshop, but through the authenticity and naturalness of the moment.
 
You were already taking photographs as a 7-year-old and still do today. Where does this passion come from and how did you learn to take photos? When I first held my father's Kodak Retina II in my hands, I was immediately fascinated. I couldn't let go of the artistic and technical aspects of photography. I was interested in how our three-dimensional perception could be realistically and aesthetically transferred to a two-dimensional medium? Or how can movement be combined with stillness and how can emotions be visualised? I experimented and practised to find answers - and taught myself the craft.
 
How can photography achieve things in people that other techniques cannot? Many people are visually influenced. Photography allows them to visualise their outward appearance - an image that is often very different from how they perceive themselves. This makes it possible to show that beauty does not have to be measured against external, sometimes unattainable ideals.
 
What does SIYU membership mean to you? For me, it is an honour, distinction and recognition at the same time. It also offers the opportunity to get together with professional colleagues, exchange ideas and inspire each other.