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Interview with portrait and event photographer Jordy Brada
Dutch portrait and event photographer Jordy Brada loves telling a story with his images. Besides covering around forty festivals a year, Jordy also shoots plenty of portraits and commercial work. In recent years he has worked for Tomorrowland, Awakenings and Paaspop, among others, as well as for Wella, Moroccan Oil and artists such as Davina Michelle, Goldband and Flemming. And this year, for the fourth year running, he’s joining the Eurovision Song Contest as lead photographer.
Jordy has been a Nikon ambassador since 2021 and a Kamera Express ambassador since 2024. He’s happy to tell us more about his passion for photography – and he shares some handy tips for beginners who want to try their hand at (event) photography too.
From economics student to event photographer
Jordy actually stumbled into event photography by chance. “In 2017 I did my graduation internship at Rotterdam Rave. At the time I had a camera so I could take photos during my minor abroad. I posted those photos on Facebook, which made the people at Rotterdam Rave think I was a photographer. When their regular photographer wasn’t available, they asked me. I thought it would be fun to give it a go, and at that event I basically shot everything in auto mode,” Jordy recalls with a laugh. That was the start of his career as an event photographer. “After graduating I was able to keep working for Rotterdam Rave as a freelancer, as long as I kept taking photos too. So I always say I became a photographer a little by force, but honestly it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
In the years that followed, Jordy got to photograph lots of great events, including Awakenings and DGTL. “I’ve photographed pretty much every event in the Dutch techno scene. I even travelled to events in Spain and Germany. And then I lost everything because of the coronavirus pandemic.” With no events taking place, all of Jordy’s assignments disappeared overnight. “I used that time to optimise my website, among other things.”
Three years as photographer of the Eurovision Song Contest
When events slowly started up again, Jordy got back to work. The first event he photographed was the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. It was originally scheduled for 2020, but the pandemic pushed it back a year and it became one of the first Dutch test events. Moroccanoil and Scrn, partners of Eurovision, were looking for a Dutch photographer who could quarantine for the event and shoot well in the dark. “They were looking for photographers who could shoot ‘in the dark’, and that’s how they found me. That really was a milestone for me.”
He still looks back on the event with great fondness. “Because of the pandemic and the strict rules, I was one of the only working event photographers at the time. That was truly the breakthrough of my career.” He still remembers walking into Rotterdam Ahoy for the first rehearsals. “Måneskin were rehearsing at that moment. I hadn’t seen live music for a year and a half, so you can imagine the impact a rock band like that made. Ahoy was huge, there were flames, Måneskin were performing and I took a photo. It’s not even an exciting photo, but I had tears in my eyes. It’s one of my favourite shots I’ve taken so far.”
Good preparation is half the battle
According to Jordy, it’s often the story behind or in the photo that makes it a good one. “Of course I also take photos that are just snapshots, but I think it’s important to ask myself: ‘can the client’s marketing team do something with this?’” To get every shot the assignment calls for, Jordy prepares meticulously. “It actually all happens on autopilot. I make a rough schedule of the artists I need to capture, so I know I won’t miss anything. The start and end of a set are especially important to me,” he explains. “In between, I can wander around and I have the freedom to capture other things, like people dancing or an overview shot.” Working in such a structured way even gives him time to edit the first photos during the event. “So by the time you go home, most of the work is already done.” He says many event photographers simply run around. “I used to be like that too, but it drove me crazy. I actually don’t like crowds at all, so by working in a structured way and to a schedule, I create a lot of calm for myself – and that makes the work even more enjoyable.”
An event photographer who doesn’t like crowds? “Yes. I don’t like busy places. I’ve never even been to a festival as a visitor. And yet it’s my job to capture events, and I think it’s the best thing there is.” He says he’s always wanted to work with music. “But I can’t sing, dance or make music. I can take photos, though, and I loved that first event. I was right in the music, but outside the crowd. Super close to the action, but in a safe way.” Sometimes his work as an event photographer feels like a hobby. “I shoot around 40 festivals a year. That’s incredibly cool, of course, but it’s also really hard work, and I still earn most of my money as a portrait and commercial photographer.” Even so, he wouldn’t stop photographing events for anything. “It’s the best thing there is.”
He used to watch Will Smith on TV – now he’s in front of his lens
Over the past few years, Jordy has done lots of amazing things. At the end of 2023, for example, he photographed Will Smith. “As kids, my brother and I used to sit on the sofa watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I could never have dreamed that one day I’d get to photograph him and his son Jaden.” Will Smith even posted Jordy’s photos on Instagram. “How cool is that?”
Although Jordy has already ticked plenty of things off his bucket list, a few items remain. “I’d really love to photograph Harry Styles. Going on tour with him, for example, would be amazing.” While Jordy is best known as an event photographer, he also shoots lots of portraits and commercial work. “If I could take one more portrait of someone, it would be Barack Obama. He’s a real legend. I’ve also never photographed anyone from the royal family. That would be pretty cool too.”
Tips
Want to get started with event and portrait photography yourself? Then check out these tips from Jordy.
Start at a local club. “Ask a local club or a local event if you can shoot there. It helps you build experience and find out whether it’s something you want to explore further.”
Shoot as much as you can. “You only learn to photograph events by actually doing it. Event photography isn’t a specialism you master in one go – there’s a lot to learn. For example, you first need to understand how light works and what it does to your images. You also need to know where you can walk and what the etiquette is at an event. You learn all that by doing.”
Ask other photographers for tips. “I did this a lot when I was starting out: asking other photographers for advice. They really aren’t scary, and most photographers are happy to help each other. You can learn a great deal from them.”
Try a different type of photography. “Event photography is really a collection of different specialisms. If you break it down, you’ll find elements of portrait, street and low-light photography, for example. By asking yourself which part you want to get better at, you can start working on it.”
Jordy’s work
Website: www.jordybrada.com
Instagram: @jordybrada
Gear
Jordy uses nothing but Nikon gear for his photos. He alternates between his Nikon Z 9, Z 8 and Z6 mark II, pairing them with a range of lenses: a 24-70mm, a 20mm, a 35mm, a 50mm, an 85mm and a 105mm. And he never goes anywhere without his spare CFexpress memory card.
Jordy’s photos
Curious to see more of Jordy’s work? Take a look at a selection from his portfolio below.
