What the heck is a Green Photographer?

I wrote this article for my blog, but I figured it was so relevant and important that it deserved a spot here in the permanent links. I have had some questions like "what is a green photographer?", "how green can you really get with your business?" And "why is it relevant?" Here is some clarification for you...

The conscious decision to start living a “greener” life began the day I found out I was pregnant. I remember the sudden overpowering revelation that everything I ate and put into my body went to my child as well. Would I want my child to get the nutrition I was (or wasn’t) getting?

I was born in Bella Coola, BC and lived there for the first several years of my life. There was naturalness to the way we lived there – we ate from our garden, shared resources, and respected our beautiful northern landscape. That time there instilled in me a longing for simple living, even though I was unaware of it for many years.

Since my pregnancy I have become increasingly “green aware”. While I was talking to some friends of mine about this issue a few weeks ago we realized that we all compare ourselves to other friends and either pride ourselves or beat ourselves up for how we feel we stand in comparison to how green they are living their lives. The conclusion of the conversation was that we all feel we are incorporating new practices all the time, and moving towards an even more eco-friendly lifestyle, and we figured that was the important thing. Everyone has different lifestyles and some things just aren’t feasible for others. So, we decided to encourage each other to live as green as we can, and leave the subconscious scoring out of it.

If you’ve spent much time of my site you’ll see that I talk about conscious and greener living. So I know what you’re thinking... First of all, what does that mean? Second, how the heck does photography relate?

Conscious living means living life with more awareness. Do we think about the things we eat? Do we balance our lives between work, rest, and the things and people who are important to us? Greener living is very similar to conscious living, but it’s directly related to the environment. Are we aware of how much energy we waste? Are we giving back somehow to replenish what we’ve used?

I have recently found the Green Photographers Network and I love it! They have some fantastic ideas, many of which I had already implemented, and many more I will continue to add. I am currently seeking accreditation to become a certified Green Photographer through their network. To give you an idea, here are some of the things they say you must do to be a green photographer:

  • Use Digital Cameras instead of Film, no more chemicals used (check)
  • Use Rechargeable Batteries for our equipments (yep)
  • Use electronic delivery of images through e-mail, FTP and our website (in progress)
  • Display and Share our photos using an online Internet Photo Gallery (check)
  • Encourage clients to only print the photos they want to display (yes!)
  • Use local business only (green will be the best) to run your studio (check)
  • Use LCD Flat Panels to work or to display our work (yup)
  • Reduce paper waste by reading online (I actually prefer it, so this isn’t hard for me)
  • Power-down various components when not in use (check)
  • Reduce, Reuse and recycle everything you can (I guess this is a continual thing, but yes, I do this consistently)
  • Use less water by printing digitally (yeah)
  • Recycle your gear – give it to someone who needs it. Even selling it is better than trashing it. (check)
  • Edit images carefully and don’t print unless you need to. (I have a fancy new calibrator so it makes my colours exactly accurate. No more reprints!)
  • Think about a digital portfolio on your laptop or even a digital photo frame (yep, online)
  • When you need to print, use matte papers from sustainable sources. (Most lustre and gloss papers contain petroleum products.) (I encourage my clients to print matte anyway. Just looks better!)
  • Recycle old negatives, silver prints and film and never “toss.” (done)
  • Upgrade to the latest computer technology when you need to, not when it’s “fashionable.” Using a generation or two of old software can minimize the need for hardware upgrades. If you do upgrade, donate your old computers. (My last computer I bought used over seven years ago. Served me well)
  • Use email marketing instead of snail mail. 40% of landfill is made up of paper. (facebook, how I love you)
  • You have a camera. Document waste in your community and bring it to the attention of local authorities, utilities and, in a friendly way, to neighbours. (In progress)

So this original post was about three times as long as this, but I’ll cut it here for now. I just felt I owed an explanation about the green thing, and how a photographer can have a green business. If you have any questions for me, or want more info adopting green practices either personally or for your business, please free to contact me. You know where to reach me!