Enter Bilal Zagaoui - the French-Moroccan creative redefining what it means to be a modern F1 photographer. You’ve likely double-tapped his reels, saved his edits for moodboard inspo, or felt like you were living a Monaco yacht day vicariously through his lens. And in our latest episode of The Sweet Take, I sat down with him to unpack his journey from corporate dream job to paddock mainstay.

Watch the full interview on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch every juicy detail!

From Adidas to Abu Dhabi: A Career in Focus

Bilal’s path wasn’t paved by art school or studio apprenticeships. It began in Germany at the Adidas headquarters, where he worked in business strategy - until he started sneaking his camera into work. Candid shots of Pharrell, David Beckham, and low-key brand activations snowballed into something bigger. The turning point? A reel called “All the Friends I Met This Year,” casually featuring icons like Naomi Campbell and DJ Khaled, which racked up over 6 million views and catapulted him into the digital spotlight.

“Catch and Shoot” - The Bilal Zagaoui Style

His photography feels like you’re in on a secret - unfiltered, dynamic, and brimming with emotion. Bilal swears by short lenses and proximity. “You can’t fake intimacy from 400mm away,” he says. That closeness translates into photos that hum with energy - whether it’s Carlos Sainz on the Abu Dhabi grid or Oscar Piastri goofing around on a boat in Monaco.

Bilal’s work spans football, tennis, fashion, and F1, but his style stays true: real moments, emotions, and creative editing. Think of him as your cool friend who somehow ends up backstage, gets the shot, and makes it look effortless.

Inside the Paddock: What Shooting F1 Is Really Like

While sports like tennis are shot in controlled environments, F1 is chaos - glamorous, unpredictable chaos. Between paddock access, qualifying sessions, and grandstand footage, Bilal has to pre-plan every shot like a director on set. He scrolls TikTok for trends, saves reference sounds and visuals, and then layers his own aesthetic on top - bridging user-generated content with high-production storytelling.

He calls this approach “elevated social,” and it’s what got him noticed by teams like Aston Martin, VCARB and brands like Boss. His collaboration with DP World in Abu Dhabi hit 3 million views on TikTok alone, proving that good creative with good strategy travels far.

Oscar, Alonso, and the Art of Personal Brand

Whether he’s shooting Lando Norris’s lifestyle brand Quadrant or watching fans worship Alonso like a deity in Mexico, Bilal is acutely aware of how today’s drivers are evolving into full-blown media brands.

“There’s a whole audience that wants less racing and more lifestyle,” he explains. From fashion fits to vacation destinations, he sees the cultural pull of drivers expanding and the importance of it.

Unsurprisingly, his dream shoot? Lewis Hamilton. “He’s an icon, and he’s using his platform for something bigger,” Bilal says.

What We’re Taking Away

Bilal’s story is more than a feed full of gorgeous edits - it’s a masterclass in vision, persistence, and self-made success. No big name gave him a seat at the table. He showed up (literally), DMed, experimented, failed fast, and kept going.

His advice to creatives just starting out? Keep showing up - and don’t be afraid to pivot. “Your camera is your conversation starter,” he says. And in Bilal’s case, it’s also his passport to the heart of the action.