The Luxembourg-born photographer and filmmaker Saman Rezapour shares how leadership, resilience and community helped him turn creative vision into a thriving business across continents.
Saman Rezapour’s LinkedIn feed reads like an edition of National Geographic: stunning images of a herd of bison captured on the plains of Utah; aerial views of a decaying ghost town in a Martian-like landscape in Chile; or moose-hunting from a plane over the wild tundra of northern Alberta in Canada.
“What drew me to photography were the many travels I took alone. I went on adventures to Africa, Iceland, Norway and Scotland, and I wanted to document them,” the brand expert and photographer recalls of discovering his passion for photography in his twenties.
The French-Luxembourg national grew up in landlocked Luxembourg, studying at St George’s International School and the European School, and playing rugby from a young age. He excelled at the sport, becoming captain of the national rugby team at just 19. Rezapour later pursued an undergraduate degree in international relations at Swansea University in Wales, followed by a Master’s in political economy in London. He began taking photos on his smartphone and honed his craft through online tutorials, gradually upgrading his equipment.
Eventually, the call of the wild became more powerful than the security of any career in diplomacy or banking. At 29, he left Luxembourg for Vancouver Island—an expanse of rugged mountains, ancient rainforests and wild shorelines, more than twelve times the size of his homeland. “A rugby teammate put me in touch with a club on Vancouver Island, called West Shore,” he says, explaining that he secured a two-year visa thanks to his French passport. “I didn’t even know where it was. I just packed my bags and went to live on an island in the Pacific Northwest.”
The contrast could not have been more stark. Settling in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, he found himself in a landscape that felt cinematic. Home to a thriving creative and tech scene, the island’s economy combines innovation and sustainability—an ideal environment for an entrepreneur drawn to both storytelling and the outdoors. In the course of a single day he might see bald eagles, deer and orca whales. “And that’s just where you live,” he smiles.
Rezapour launched his business as a brand storyteller shortly before the start of the pandemic, hardly the ideal time to build a company from scratch. He began by offering content creation services to small, values-driven businesses, often bartering projects to gain experience. Over time, he refined his niche: crafting cinematic storytelling for brands rooted in authenticity and environmental consciousness. Thanks to the leadership and communication skills he had honed as a rugby captain, he rapidly built a network, turning contacts into clients.
“The projects I love most are when our values align: creativity with purpose”
Today, his diverse client list includes lifestyle apparel giant DUER, biotech start-up Ocean Diagnostics, and FOLKLIFE, a magazine celebrating slow living, connection and creativity, values that deeply resonate with the entrepreneur. “The projects I love most are when our values align: creativity with purpose.”
While firmly anchored in Canada, Rezapour maintains close ties with Luxembourg, where he counts Bois Brever and Golf School Luxembourg among his clients. More recently, he founded and runs Sidebar, a weekly business meet-up for “entrepreneurs and business owners, where we share wins, challenges, and ideas for growing our ventures.” He values authentic relationships and connection, recognising that entrepreneurs need these to navigate the daily challenges they face.
For Rezapour, the greatest challenge has been learning to balance creative vision with the practical realities of running a company. Being on site and capturing beautiful visuals, he says, is just 10% of the job.
“When you start from scratch, you find yourself constantly switching between roles: creative, strategist, project manager, negotiator. There’s no clear playbook, and that can be overwhelming,” he explains.
While he admits there is no silver-bullet solution, he credits the discipline, teamwork and resilience learned from playing high-level rugby. “It’s about getting knocked down and getting back up again, both literally and figuratively,” he says, adding: “As captain, I learned how to bring people together around a shared goal, to communicate clearly under pressure, and to make decisions even when the situation isn’t ideal.”
Those same skills, he says, have carried over into leading a creative business. Whether managing a production, building trust with clients, or guiding a team through unpredictable situations, he recognises the importance of “staying calm, keeping perspective, and focusing on collective success over individual ego.”
At a time when natural environments are increasingly threatened by man-made climate change, Rezapour is conscious of the social and environmental impact of his work. His outdoor shoots, he explains, are both an aesthetic and an ethical statement, an expression of respect for the landscapes that inspire him. That is why he seeks to work with purpose-driven brands.
He speaks animatedly about a six-part documentary series he is currently developing, showcasing local produce on southern Vancouver Island. “We’re interviewing farmers, foragers, chefs, and discovering what makes this such a unique place for food,” he says.
With rugby now gaining popularity in Canada, Rezapour has even picked up his boots again after a six-year hiatus, and he smiles at the thought of once again representing Luxembourg. “Normally, players retire at 35, but I thought I’d start again,” he laughs.
Through his company Alpenglow Media Inc., he continues to bridge his two homes. “Being able to work with Luxembourg clients feels like a full-circle moment. I’ve built this thing in Canada and now I’m able to return and offer my services to people and companies in Luxembourg,” he says. “It’s fantastic!”
Looking ahead, Rezapour hopes to expand his team, mentor emerging creatives, and continue building bridges between Europe and North America. His long-term goal: to use visual storytelling as a force for cultural exchange and environmental awareness.
Whether on the field or behind a screen, Rezapour’s story proves that leadership isn’t about control, it’s about clarity, courage and connection.
This article was published in the 8th edition of Forbes Luxembourg.
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