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Ways to be a green photographer
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Everybody these days seems to be making efforts to “go green”. Digital photography eliminates the use of film and chemicals which have damaging effects on the environment. What many people are unaware of is that digital still makes a significant impact. Hours spent hovering over harmful chemicals in the darkroom have been traded with hours spent in front of an energy-sucking computer. It is important to be aware of how your equipment and practices affect the environment. Here are some ways to reduce your impact and maintain green photography practices. Many of these tips pertain to your non-photo life as well.
- Watch how much power you consume. Energy used to power your computer, monitor, printer, and scanner cause greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Power down or turn off all equipment when not in use.
- Conserve energy. Energy consumption is unavoidable. Use less by replacing regular light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs in your office or studio.
- Unplug equipment when you’re not using it. Electronics such as battery chargers left plugged in when not in use consume energy referred to as phantom loads that waste hundreds of kilowatts of energy and put tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
- Recycle everything you can. Digital photography still creates paper waste, so try to recycle every scrap. Recycle ink cartridges. Many people forget about the harmful effects of improperly disposing of electronic waste so make sure to check with your local recycling facilities to find out what to do with these items. Many Good Will locations take and recycle old electronics.
- Offset your Carbon Footprint. Visit Nature Conservancy to calculate your carbon footprint and find ways to reduce your affect. You can also offset your footprint the easy way by planting a tree.
- Find environmentally friendly options when buying paper and batteries. Red River Paper makes 100% recycled printing papers. If you print a lot, buy ink in bulk. Use NiMH rechargeable batteries and dispose of old batteries properly.
- Be a responsible consumer. Find out about the environmental efforts of the camera and equipment manufacturers you use. For example, if you are a Nikon user, here is a resource for Nikon’s commitment to prevent global warming.
- Make your equipment last. Do your research and buy stuff that you will use for a long time. Treat your camera and accessories with care. It takes a lot of energy and materials to make a new camera, so keep the one you have for as long as you can.
Find more tips at The Green Photographer.
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