About René van Bakel
Visual Storytelling Expert,
Book Author, and Founder of Dolce Etruria Visual Creators, and "From Seen to Sold" Books, and Online Courses for Business Professionals
Photo | Video | Drone Services - Crafting premium 3D visual content
for luxury, travel, and lifestyle
René van Bakel is a versatile professional. His extensive experience, gained across more than 80 countries, equips him to help you visualize your story, highlighting what is important for you, your marketing concept, your company, or your publication. His photographic work has been featured in major global media outlets such as National Geographic, The New York Times, Le Figaro, Vogue, and many others.
He began as a passionate storytelling photographer over 30 years ago. Throughout the years, and with further education, he has also established himself as a journalist, book author, (video) blogger, and workshop leader in Italy, specializing in visual storytelling. Additionally, he founded the international image and text agency ASAblanca in Vienna, where he served as the operational managing director for six years before selling his shares.
Creating visuals remains his passion, which he applies not only to his book projects but also to visualizing marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. From 2018 onwards, René increasingly integrated video into his storytelling. In 2019, he further expanded his expertise by becoming an EU-certified UAS pilot, including certification for large drones up to 25 kg. This skill set significantly contributed to the development of his YouTube channel René van Bakel’s Dolce Etruria, and of
Dolce Etruria Visual Creators.
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.
Since 2025, these experiences have been utilized to create books, online courses, and coaching programs. It is his mission to empower business professionals—such as startups, entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, and business leaders—to apply this knowledge and demonstrate how to harness the power of Visual StorySelling. This approach aims to catapult their brand into the spotlight—making it instantly visible and effortlessly turning attention into sales—if executed correctly!
René’s Motto:
For those who want to learn: Discover how Visual Storytelling can make your business stand out from the crowd—in the blink of an eye.
And for those who prefer to outsource: Let us visualize your story while you concentrate on your core business.
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