Why Purpose Matters:
Aligning My Work With My 2026 Focus
As I’ve been mapping out my intentions for 2026, one theme keeps resurfacing: Purpose-led creativity.
Photography is so often talked about in terms of aesthetics - light, composition, colours, props - but my deepest motivation has always sat beneath the surface:
What impact does this image have?
Who does it support?
And how can I use my skills to contribute to something bigger than a single photoshoot?
This is why I’m aligning my 2026 business planning with a handful of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ones that small, values-led businesses like mine can meaningfully contribute to:
SDG 4 - Quality Education: using photography to elevate community knowledge, awareness, and storytelling.
SDG 8 - Decent Work & Economic Growth: ethical pricing, fair work hours, sustainable growth.
SDG 12- Responsible Consumption & Production: creating responsibly, minimising waste, choosing props and practices with intention.
SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals: collaborating with people and organisations driving positive change.
And for me, one of the most tangible ways these values come to life is through the work I do outside paid projects.
Why I Photograph for Geelong Sustainability
Many of you know this already, but for those who are new here: I volunteer my photography to Geelong Sustainability, covering events such as:
Sustainable Open House Day
MOTIIVES program presentations
Practitioner training days ... and a myriad of other community-focused initiatives.
Every time I show up with my cameras, it’s for one simple reason: images help movements grow. They give visibility to the people doing the work, the conversations that matter, and the change that’s happening right here in our region.
But something I don’t often talk about is the value of this work. Not because I need applause, quite the opposite, but because creative labour is still too often seen as “nice to have”, especially in the sustainability and community sector where budgets are tight.
A single community event I cover represents:
travel & prep
2–4 hours onsite
2–5 hours of culling, editing & delivery
If invoiced as a paid project, it would typically sit between $650 - $1,400 depending on the scope. Multiply that across a year and the donated value adds up to several thousand dollars worth of visual storytelling invested back into the community.
This aligns directly with my SDG goals, and perhaps most importantly: It keeps me connected to my “why.”
How This Flows Into Client Work
This purpose-driven approach also influences how I show up in my business. It shapes:
the way I plan shoots
the brands I partner with
the products I offer (like Content Days and Personalised Stock Image Libraries)
the slow, intentional way I choose to grow Studio Collins
my emphasis on authentic, community-first imagery
My clients often tell me they can “feel” the difference - that the images reflect not just what they do, but what they stand for.
That’s where aesthetics meet ethics. And that’s the kind of photography I want to lean even deeper into this year.
