07.01.10
As a professional photographer Jon Norddahl can spend a whole day searching for the right picture. The challenges he faces as a voluntary photographer with the Danish Refugee Council are of a very different sort – whether portraying integration projects in Denmark or reconstruction-sites in Bosnia.
Normally major Danish companies are amongst the clients of Jon Norddahl. As a volunteer photographer he has been confronted with the reality of minority groups in Denmark and former refugees in Bosnia – where he went to witness the last phace of an 18 year DRC presence.
“I am used to being a professional – uncovering motives, thinking about angles and technical solutions. The voluntary work with DRC has put me through some challenges and experiences that demanded something entirely different. How do you get energetic minority youngsters to stop posing and act natural in front of the camera? How do you convince a married couple in the mountains of Srebenica that you need a picture of the husband alone, without offending his wife? It has actually been inspiring to be confronted with situations I had no way of controlling.”
“It has been inspiring to witness the positive meeting between minority and refugee families and volunteers. Personally I have had a chance to learn about other people and make a difference with the qualifications I have.”
“The trip through Bosnia was at the same time emotional and positive. We met people with tragic stories who had lost loved ones and their homes – but at the same time these people had been able to start new lives with the assistance of DRC. My deep-felt respect for the organization has increased immensely during the visit to Bosnia.