I am a photographer from Denmark aiming to start a social enterprise focused on photography. My goal is to specialize in creating captivating visual content tailored for social enterprises, NGOs, and companies that prioritize social or environmental responsibility at the heart of their business.
I have teamed up with Zsuszka from The Origo Workshop, a Hungarian social enterprise dedicated to organizing training programs aimed at enhancing mental health and well-being for professionals in the social sector. During my time with Origo, I’ll be contributing my photography and videography skills while gaining valuable experience in producing content that resonates with the mission of social enterprises. Additionally, I willl learn about building and sustaining a successful social enterprise from an experienced entrepreneur.
My EYE exchange began with two intense and inspiring weeks spent alongside my host entrepreneur. We dove right into our collaboration, participating in the first of three training programs I’ll attend this fall.
This training was organized as a pilgrimage along the path of St. Francis of Assisi—a “pilgrimage to sustainability.” Each day, our group explored new locations, participating in organized seminars and workshops on sustainability, in all the meanings of the word: mental, environmental etc. My role was to document the journey, capturing the people, places, landscapes, experiences and emotions of the participants.
These two weeks were a whirlwind of activity, providing me with lots of hands-on photography experience. Much of my time was spent gathering material, with the editing phase set to follow later on. I spent a lot of time reflecting on how best to meet my clients’ needs. My background in journalistic photography has given me a solid foundation, and this was an opportunity to adapt my approach to align more closely with commercial expectations and client requirements.
This experience has been both creatively rewarding and challenging, particularly in managing my time and navigating the sometimes chaotic and unpredictable schedule with constantly changing scenery. I was reminded of the importance of establishing clear agreements regarding work expectations, as well as the need to communicate openly with clients about what matters most to them—rather than relying on the hope that I can read their minds!
In addition to honing my photography skills, I also had the opportunity to:
• Reflect on sustainability and engage in meaningful discussions with others about various perspectives on the topic.
• Build a personal connection with my host entrepreneur in a more informal setting, gaining deeper insights into her work and her visions.
• Network with interesting people in the social sector from several European countries, opening the door to potential future collaborations for my photography business.
During our long daily walks, there was plenty of time for engaging discussions and the sharing of business ideas, enriched by feedback from my host entrepreneur. I’ve discovered opportunities for creative projects that I wasn’t aware of before, and I’m starting to brainstorm new ways to further develop my business idea throughout my six-month exchange. This is only the beginning, and I’m sure I have a lot more to share about this in my next article.