FORMER SIGMA AMBASSADOR - What I learned about brand partnerships
It was a great experience. But I learned that a title is never the thing that makes you. Being chosen as a Sigma Ambassador was something special. At the time, I didn’t really know how this whole Ambassador game worked. I was simply approached through contacts, told about the Ambassador Program and invited to apply. I did. Apparently, I fitted their niche. And suddenly, I was part of it.
01 – It was a cool opportunity
Sigma is a fantastic manufacturer and I genuinely liked the products. My main role was actually quite simple: Test lenses. Use them. Write about them. But, as usual, I ended up doing more. I gave workshops. I spoke at events. I took the products onto stages and into the real world. Because that’s what I do. When I believe in something, I want to use it, test it and actually do something with it.
02 – I also discovered what an Ambassador program really means
Being an Ambassador sounds glamorous. And yes, it can be. You get support from a manufacturer. You get access to products. You become part of a network. And having a major brand behind your work is a great feeling. But there is another side to it. You are still one of many. And sometimes, what you need as a photographer isn’t necessarily what a brand needs from an Ambassador. I was already very focused on speaking, teaching and building something of my own. I wanted to move. Push. Create. Get on stages. Keep going. And sometimes I felt that the structure around the Ambassador role simply wasn’t moving at the same speed.
03 – That’s when I understood something important.
A collaboration only works when both sides want to move in the same direction. I’m a man of action. I like doing things. I like building things. I like taking an idea and making something happen. And I need partners who work the same way. Not partners who slow everything down. I’m a man of action. I need a brand that is also into action— not a brake.
04 – And eventually, we went our separate ways.
There was no big drama. I simply realized that I didn’t need the title badly enough to stay in a situation that wasn’t working for me anymore. So I ended the collaboration. And honestly? I never regretted it. Because nothing stopped. I kept photographing. I kept teaching. I kept speaking. I kept building my own thing.
05 – Something interesting happened.
I got in touch with Sony. And they supported me. Not through an Ambassador Program. Not through a big set of rules. Not through a list of things I had to deliver. Their marketing team simply liked what I was doing. They liked who I was. And they supported that. I could work independently. I could do my thing. And that difference meant a lot to me.
06 – Today, I probably wouldn’t join another Ambassador Program.
Not because I think they’re bad. Quite the opposite. They can be fantastic opportunities. But I know myself better now. And I know how important independence is to me. I don’t want to stand on a stage and recommend something simply because I’m supposed to. I want to be able to say: This is a great camera. When it’s a great camera. And when I think something isn’t good enough, I want to be able to say that too. Because my audience trusts me. And that trust is worth more to me than a title.
07 – The experience still means something to me.
Being a Sigma Ambassador is part of my journey. It opened doors. It gave me experiences. It put me in rooms I might not otherwise have been in. And I’m grateful for that. But I’ve also learned that you shouldn’t hold onto something just because it looks good on paper. A title is nice. A brand name next to yours is nice. Support is nice. But none of those things are essential. It’s a nice to have. Not a must-have.
08 – Today, I choose differently.
I work with brands where I can genuinely say: I believe in this. Where I know the product has value. Where the people behind it want to move. Where there is trust on both sides. Because that’s when a collaboration becomes interesting. Not when one side needs the other. But when both sides think: Let’s build something together.
09 – Former Sigma Ambassador.
I’m proud that it was part of my story. But I’m even happier that I learned I don’t need the title. Because at the end of the day, I’m still the same photographer. Still the same teacher. Still the same person who wants to move forward. Still a man of action. And that’s probably the most important lesson I took from the whole experience: „Build your own thing. Because brands can support you. Titles can open doors. But nobody can build your path for you. That’s your job.“
