Greener photography involves spending a bit of time sorting out and discarding pictures of clouds and chopped-off heads, and then using one simple camera to take pictures when needed, not to spend your life taking selfies or thousands of photos.
Old-fashioned cameras were simple but the film was made from animal bones, so it’s good that things are digital. But now we have people taking thousands of photos, rather than living life.
Tips to Be a Zero Waste Photographer
The photographic industry has a lot of catching up to do, compared to most other industries. Although most photographers now have let go of gelatine film to switch to digital cameras, there is still a lot of chemicals and waste involved. Here are a few simple tips:
Paper Shoot Camera (US) is made with sustainable and recycled materials. These simpe point-and-shoot cameras are ideal for beginners or professionals, and are small, easy to assemble and in adorable designs. These take photos like a film camera, but you just upload images to your computer, for easy access. The cameras are shipped in cardboard. Worldwide shipping available.
The digital camera uses rechargeable batteries and 32GB SD cards, and a USB cable to charge. It includes 4 filters (colour, black and white, sepie and cool blue) and is designed to last years (yet only costs around 3 to 4 times more than a disposable camera). You can also use it to take videos.
Delete all unwanted photos in your camera and online, and go for quantity over quantity. This means far less to print them, onto paper. Invest in a good digital camera to last, and quality batteries that last longer (recycle them when done). Avoid disposable cameras, they are costly and wasteful. If using a flash, choose one with a rechargeable battery.
What to Do With Unused Photographs
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
If you lots of old photographs that you no longer want, you can gift them to other family members, use them in craft projects (donate to schools), or donate old photos to local history museums.
Spend an evening going through your photos and just dump any that are not of special times or good memories (don’t recycle them or burn them, as they are toxic). It’s good psychology to get rid of photos of old boyfriends/girlfriends who children who bullied you at school. Keep what’s left and then blow them up and put them on the wall.
Don’t feel bad about throwing old photos away, writer Paulo Coelho never takes photos at all, he keeps all his memories in his head. Nothing bad will happen (simple living writer Karen Kingston writes that if that were true, think of all the photos on newspapers and magazines, they all get tossed). Also go through your phone and computer and delete unwanted photos. Then just take proper photos, when there is a reason to.
Vintage Photo Lab can take all your old photos from a shoe box to an attic-full, and restore them to modern digital standards, for the next generation to enjoy. Recommended by Michael Palin, this service is a great way to store and display all your favourites, while letting pictures of clouds and cut-off head go! You get nationwide home collection, the photos are professionally scanned and then emailed to you, within a short time. Obviously there is always a slight risk, but if you’re happy doing it, then this is the best company to choose. This company has been operating since 2012 and (so far!) has not lost a single photo. After saving the family (including pets), 90% of people say saving photos is the next thing, but this means you don’t have to worry.
If you’re good at photography or graphic design, volunteer for Operation Photo Rescue. This global organisation takes and restores photos damaged by fire, flood etc.
Photo Albums to Help Elephants!
Paper High Photo Frames are made from a blend of recycled paper and elephant dung (collecting gives locals an income, so they see elephants as good, instead of as a threat for eating crops). Or for a pop of colour, go for the handcrafted photo albums.
Simplifying Digital Photography
The Busy Girl’s Guide to Digital Photography includes inspirational case studies and examples from professional and semi-pro female photographers, plus user-friendly technical explanations. A practical and useful toolkit, learn how to tune in and understand your subject, and demystify photography jargon. A fun and contemporary guide, to take your passion for photography to the next level.
The iPhone Photography Book shows how to take great photos on your iPhone, so you have no need to buy a digital camera. Each page covers a single tool to capture amazing images. You’ll learn how to get great shots in low light, how to capture awesome portraits, how to nail composition and how to take travel, food and landscape photos. Also covers time lapse photography, long exposure and panoramas. Includes a list of 10 photo apps to improve images.
Digital Photography is a complete guide to become an expert photographer with a digital camera, in just 20 weeks. Go from novice to pro, and learn 20 user-friendly modules in simple language, with practical demos and tutorials.
Photographing Nature & Wildlife
Wildlife Photography at Home is by a former European Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, which he won taking a photo taken in his suburban back garden. In this book, he shares the methods he used to get stunning professional nature photos, without having to head out on safari. Starting with the basics, the author shows how to capture pro-level pictures. He also covers where to place your camera, how optics can completely change your shot, and how to overcome the elements.
Also read Wildlife Photography: Saving My Life One Frame at a Time, a book by a former soldier who recovered from post-traumatic stress & depression, by discovering wildlife photography.
Enter snaps at British Wildlife Photographer Awards. Your work could end up in one of their books. The international Wildlife Photographer of the Year features over 50 photographers from nearly 20 countries.
The Power of Good Photography
This photography of Afghan Girl for National Geographic Magazine is probably one of the world’s iconic photos ever taken for a media outlet. The striking green eyes that looked at the camera were seen by millions, a girl who lived in a refugee camp after being orphaned age 6 by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Spending the next 30 years as a refugee in Pakistan before returning to Afganistan, she now lives with her surviving children (she lost one child and her husband).
Years later, photographer Steve McCurry went back to the find the ‘Afghan Mona Lisa’ as she is known in her home country. Sharbat Gula had no idea the photo was so well-known, and agreed for an updated meeting, to highlight the plight of refugees. Her life has not been easy. But the steely green eyes are still there on the still beautiful (yet more tired) face.
