A Career Built From An Unplanned Discovery

Some careers begin with a clear plan. Others begin with a moment of curiosity that eventually becomes impossible to ignore.

For Anja Ekstrøm, photography was the latter.

What began almost by chance gradually developed into a passion powerful enough to change the direction of her life. Instead of simply learning how to operate a camera, Anja became fascinated by everything surrounding photography, from light and composition to storytelling, mood and the emotional impact of an image.

Today, she is an internationally active fashion and beauty photographer, creative director, educator and the Founder and Editor in Chief of Soléne Magazine. Her journey is particularly striking because photography was not the career she originally built her life around.

At 37, after more than two decades in another professional field, Anja made the decision to listen seriously to the passion she had discovered.

There was no guarantee that the decision would work.

She made it anyway.

That leap became the foundation for the creative career she has built today.

From Self Taught Photographer To Creative Director

Anja’s story is also a reminder that formal pathways are not the only way to develop expertise.

She is entirely self taught and describes her growth as the result of curiosity, experimentation, determination and countless hours behind the camera. Rather than waiting for someone else to define her creative style, she developed it through experience.

That independent approach continues to influence the way she works.

Her photography is strongly connected to fashion, beauty, portraits and commercial storytelling, with a particular interest in creating polished images that feel more like visual experiences than straightforward advertising.

For Anja, the photograph is only one part of the story.

The lighting, styling, model, composition, atmosphere and creative direction all have to work together.

Her professional work reflects this philosophy. Her fashion photography approach combines commercial requirements with an editorial sensibility, allowing clothing, accessories and beauty products to become part of a larger visual narrative.

That balance between creativity and commercial purpose has become one of the defining elements of her work.

Why Luxury Means More Than Looking Expensive

For Anja, luxury is not simply a visual style.

It is an experience.

She believes that truly high end work is created through details, emotion, concept and the atmosphere surrounding an entire production. That philosophy influences the projects she chooses and the creative teams with whom she wants to collaborate.

It is also why she is selective about the work that carries her name.

Her goal is not to produce images simply because a project needs photographs. She wants to create work that makes people pause, look again and experience something.

This philosophy is particularly relevant in fashion and beauty, industries where brands increasingly depend on distinctive visual identities to stand apart.

Anja’s approach places storytelling at the centre of that process. Instead of allowing the product to exist in isolation, she builds a visual world around it.

The result is photography designed not only to show something, but to make the audience feel something.

Building An International Creative Career

Anja’s career has gradually expanded beyond photography itself.

Her work now brings together photography, creative direction, education and publishing. She has created work for fashion and beauty projects, worked with creative teams and developed an international presence through her visual productions.

Her professional portfolio also reflects experience across editorial, commercial and fashion photography, with work connected to brands and publications in different markets.

Recognition has been another part of that development.

Anja has received professional photography recognition, including a Gold Medal and several distinctions. However, awards are not what appear to drive her ambitions.

For her, the more meaningful achievement is the life created around her passion.

Changing careers at 37 and eventually developing an international creative career required more than technical ability. It required confidence, persistence and a willingness to repeatedly step outside her comfort zone.

That mindset continues to shape her next chapter.

Soléne Magazine Adds Another Dimension

Photography is only one part of Anja’s creative world.

She is also the Founder and Editor in Chief of Soléne Magazine, an independent high end fashion and beauty publication focused on refined editorials and visual storytelling.

The publication reflects many of the same principles found in her photography.

Soléne places emphasis on artistic quality, thoughtful composition, elegance and carefully curated visual narratives. Its editorial philosophy prioritizes quality over quantity and seeks creative work with a strong sense of intention.

This gives Anja another platform through which she can contribute to the creative industry.

As a photographer, she creates the images.

As a creative director, she helps shape the vision.

As an editor, she can help decide which stories and visual voices deserve attention.

That combination gives her career an unusual creative breadth.

Teaching The Next Generation Of Photographers

Another important part of Anja’s journey has been education.

Over time, she has expanded into workshops, mentoring and international photography education, sharing lessons from her own experience with photographers looking to develop their skills and creative identity.

Her approach to teaching goes beyond camera settings and technical knowledge.

Current workshop programmes connected with Anja focus on helping photographers develop their creative eye, understand lighting, direct models, strengthen their portfolios and create stronger fashion and beauty imagery.

That reflects a lesson Anja has learned throughout her own career.

Technical skills can be taught.

Developing a personal visual language takes longer.

For emerging photographers, that distinction can be important. The goal is not simply to take technically correct photographs, but to understand why an image works and what makes it recognizably their own.

Dubai And The Middle East Become Part Of The Next Chapter

Anja’s ambitions are now becoming increasingly international.

Dubai and the wider Middle East are emerging as an important part of her future plans. She is drawn to the region’s international outlook, appreciation for luxury and ambitious creative environment.

Her plans include spending time in Dubai and continuing to develop relationships with brands, agencies and creative teams in the region.

That direction also aligns with her existing approach to destination photography. Her creative projects have explored international locations, including Spain and Dubai, with an emphasis on creating high end campaign imagery for brands.

For Anja, however, international growth is not simply about collecting destinations.

She is interested in building lasting creative relationships.

Whether it is a luxury fashion campaign, a beauty production, an editorial project or a larger creative direction assignment, she wants the work to have a clear identity and a reason to exist.

The Lesson Behind Her Career Change

Perhaps the most powerful part of Anja’s story is not the awards, international work or growing creative profile.

It is the decision she made at 37.

Many people reach a certain stage in life believing that changing direction is too difficult. Careers have been established, responsibilities have grown and uncertainty can become uncomfortable.

Anja’s experience offers a different perspective.

She did not wait until everything was certain.

She moved toward something she believed in.

Her journey demonstrates that feeling unprepared does not necessarily mean a decision is wrong. Sometimes the opportunities that change a person’s life arrive before they feel completely ready to accept them.

That lesson has also influenced how she approaches success.

She does not view success as reaching a final destination. Instead, she sees it as having the freedom to continue learning, experimenting and evolving while remaining connected to personal standards.

A Future Focused On Exceptional Work

Looking ahead, Anja is not simply trying to become busier.

She is trying to become more selective.

Her ambition is to work with exceptional brands and creative teams that value strong concepts, quality imagery and originality. She wants her name to represent a certain standard, regardless of where a production takes place.

That could mean flying across the world for a campaign, developing the visual identity of a luxury brand, directing a fashion production or creating an editorial project with an international team.

The common thread is quality.

Anja’s journey from an unexpected discovery of photography to an international career demonstrates what can happen when passion is taken seriously.

She changed direction without knowing exactly where the road would lead.

More than a decade later, photography has become much more than a profession. It has become the foundation for a wider creative life encompassing fashion, beauty, publishing, education and international collaboration.

And for Anja, the story is far from finished.

The next photograph, the next production and the next international collaboration are still waiting to be created.

Credits for the photo:
Model: Michelle Desideriussen
Hair: Nini Ej
Makeup: Melina Wolff
Retouch: Stef Nazarenko
Photo: Anja Ekstrøm

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