# Sustainability and photography business?



## Tbini87 (Nov 10, 2010)

Hey guys,
   I was wondering if any of you pro photogs make any effort to make your business environmentally sustainable. I don't know that it would necessarily get more clients or anything, but it certainly couldn't hurt your image (imo). I understand that it will probably cost you more, which may be a major barrier to using more "green" products. If any of you guys do make efforts to be sustainable I was hoping you would share some tips or recommend some products that we could use.

What things do you do to reduce your impact on the planet? 

Are there any specific products that you could recommend which are more sustainable that the standard product?

I was personally wondering about things like business cards and photo albums that may use recycled paper or something along those lines. Using reusable batteries, putting efficient lighting into your studio, etc. Any ideas or recommendations or thoughts welcome!


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## Tbini87 (Nov 11, 2010)

Bummer. I was hoping for at least a few responses, but I didn't really expect a lot of pros to be doing a whole lot in terms of keeping their companies sustainable. I understand that making the client happy and delivering a top notch product is most important, but there has to be some simple ways to reduce our impact as photographers on nature.


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## GeneralBenson (Nov 11, 2010)

It's certainly a good idea that is worth thinking about. But i cant say that I've done a ton in that area that is specific to my business. For the most part, I just try to live as green a lifestyle as I can, and some of that carries over into the business. Things like conserving electricity, and trying to drive less and so forth. But nothing really that is photo biz specific.


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## Rekd (Nov 11, 2010)

I don't try to be any more green at all, especially when I'm shooting. 

There's enough lawyers and lawmakers trying to force it all down my throat as it is, I don't need to contribute more voluntarily. 

In fact, I'm really glad that Big. Red. Wave. came through town and cleaned out some of the green agenda weenies who are trying to make a profit off of people's need to  breath. 

I'm hopeful the loud and clear "ENOUGH" that was shouted last week will persuade the new lawmakers to STFU and listen to what their bosses are telling them.

And I'm just curious... what, exactly, do photogs do that is destroying this planet? Making business cards? Using photo paper? 

Really? :twak:


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## Tbini87 (Nov 11, 2010)

Rekd said:


> I don't try to be any more green at all, especially when I'm shooting.
> 
> There's enough lawyers and lawmakers trying to force it all down my throat as it is, I don't need to contribute more voluntarily.
> 
> ...



How much you need to "contribute" is up to you... and I'm not trying to force anything on anyone. However, if you haven't noticed, the world's resources are finite and are not as plentiful as they used to be. Water is becoming scarce, forests are being wiped out, and our air quality sucks. Population is growing rapidly which is going to be consuming even more of the resources than before. If none of that matters to you then you are probably just completely self-absorbed and selfish. 

Luckily as photographers our job doesn't expose us to a lot of things that are destroying the earth. However, yes, making business cards and using paper certainly don't help. The computers and cameras we throw away when they get old don't magically disappear. The electricity we use to run studios and offices doesn't come without a cost. The gas we burn driving and flying from place to place doesn't have an endless supply, and creates a lot of pollution. So I think using the resources wisely is the responsible thing to do. If you choose to not be responsible that is up to you. It will just place a bigger burden on younger generations.


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## Tbini87 (Nov 11, 2010)

GeneralBenson said:


> It's certainly a good idea that is worth thinking about. But i cant say that I've done a ton in that area that is specific to my business. For the most part, I just try to live as green a lifestyle as I can, and some of that carries over into the business. Things like conserving electricity, and trying to drive less and so forth. But nothing really that is photo biz specific.



Yeah us too. We still have plenty we could improve on, but I was hoping to get some recommendations on some companies that maybe made sustainability a major issue. If there aren't any companies doing this then maybe there is a niche market opportunity. However, there doesn't seem to be much interest from photogs on the topic... which means that niche market is probably very small haha.


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## Christie Photo (Nov 11, 2010)

Tbini87 said:


> Hey guys,
> I was wondering if any of you pro photogs make any effort to make your business sustainable.





Tbini87 said:


> I understand that it will probably cost you more, which may be a major barrier to using more "green" products.



Ummm...  I don't see any correlation between these two statements.  There must be some new connotation for the word "sustainable."

There's not much I can see about the way I conduct business that is more harmful to the environment than other ways.  On a personal level, I haven't bought a plastic drinking cup since about 1985.  I use paper.  I like to think it will compost better.  I don't really know.

But sustaining my business... well...  that's an entirely different thing than sustaining the planet.

Hmmm...

- Pete


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## Tbini87 (Nov 11, 2010)

Christie Photo said:


> Tbini87 said:
> 
> 
> > Hey guys,
> ...



The post is about reducing your photography business' impact on the environment. Not sustaining your business, but doing things in your business so that it does not harm the earth. Hope that clears it up for you. Maybe instead of using plastic or paper drinking cups you could buy a Klean Kanteen instead, and won't even have to compost!


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

Tbini87 said:


> However, if you haven't noticed, the world's resources are finite and are not as plentiful as they used to be. Water is becoming scarce, forests are being wiped out, and our air quality sucks.



Huh? 

Many of the resources we use ARE infinite. 

Water? The Earth is covered in it. We drink it, pee it out, it recycles. The water on the earth now was here millions of years ago. It will be here millions of years after we're gone.

If anything, global warming will make more of it by evaporating more from the oceans (desalinizing it so we can drink it). Global temperatures have been changing drastically for billions of years. It will be changing as long as the earth revolves around a sun. It's cyclic. We can't stop it.

Forests? They CAN be infinite. 

We are planting more now than ever before. And again, so-called global warming would make more moisture, more heat, more forests. Yes, population expansion is reducing it.

Air quality? It's better now than it was 30 years ago.

Go take a drive up Waterman Canyon Road into the San Bernardino Mountains. You'll be able to see for 50 miles. When I lived there 30 years ago, you couldn't see more than 10 on a good day from the smog. China? Yeah, they got problems and they're not interested in fixing them. Not much I can do there.

The equipment we use now uses 90% less energy and non-recyclable material than we did just a quarter century ago. Cars make more power with less fuel and a fraction of the pollution.

And don't get me wrong... my home is uber-energy efficient. I have a solar voltaic system on the roof to generate 10 to 15 kw/hours per day. I use a pellet stove for heating, propane for cooking. I have a thermal coating on my roof, excellent insulation throughout, double paned glass, ceiling fans, and even an attic fan on a thermostat.


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

And seriously, why would you so blatantly lie to us?

You say... 



Tbini87 said:


> I'm not trying to force anything on anyone.



Then turn around and say this...



Tbini87 said:


> The post is about reducing your photography business' impact on the environment. Not sustaining your business, but doing things in your business so that it does not harm the earth. Hope that clears it up for you. *Maybe instead of using plastic or paper drinking cups you could buy a Klean Kanteen instead, and won't even have to compost!*



Ridiculous. :twak:


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## c.cloudwalker (Nov 12, 2010)

Wow, Rekd, you might want to read a few things. You could start with "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen which would teach you a few things about China which has a way to go yet before catching up to us in terms of pollution. Or the finite side of the planet...

I do agree with you though that photogs, especially digital ones, don't do much harm to the planet. I read the question and I couldn't think of anything I could do differently in my studio. Efficient lighting in my studio? Are we talking about the newfangled bulbs that are doing more harm than good because there is no system in place to dispose of them properly so they end up in the dump where they pollute more than the old fashioned bulbs? Or are you thinking about strobes? Because I don't see any way to get around my strobes which, btw, are actually a lot better for the planet than continuous lights since they use a lot less electricity.

Paper? I don't use much since I barely print anything. Clients get electronic files. Wedding and portrait photogs could use recycled paper products if there are any. Albums probably exist but is there any such thing as recycled photo paper?

Now, some years back when the price of silver went through the roof, the workshop where I taught talked about recycling the developer. But it was as a cost cutting measure rather than a concern for the planet. On the other hand, when I lived in the country and didn't want my darkroom chemicals to go into my septic tank I couldn't find one bit of info about companies that would pick them up and deal with them...

Like some of the other respondents, I live pretty green but, tbh, it is more out of concern for myself, my kids and grandkids than for the planet. Only the arrogance of man allows us to think we can destroy the planet. Earth will be around long after we have destroyed the human animal. I'll also say here, for the benefit of the OP, that if green people want to be taken seriously they need to start talking and acting seriously. Someone like Gore doesn't help the green cause much imo.


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## Tbini87 (Nov 12, 2010)

c.cloudwalker said:


> Wow, Rekd, you might want to read a few things. You could start with "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen which would teach you a few things about China which has a way to go yet before catching up to us in terms of pollution. Or the finite side of the planet...
> 
> I do agree with you though that photogs, especially digital ones, don't do much harm to the planet. I read the question and I couldn't think of anything I could do differently in my studio. Efficient lighting in my studio? Are we talking about the newfangled bulbs that are doing more harm than good because there is no system in place to dispose of them properly so they end up in the dump where they pollute more than the old fashioned bulbs? Or are you thinking about strobes? Because I don't see any way to get around my strobes which, btw, are actually a lot better for the planet than continuous lights since they use a lot less electricity.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks. I wouldn't exactly say that I am a part of the "green movement" or anything, but have recently been educated on how serious some problems are the the planet is and will be facing in the near future. When you say you live pretty green out of concern for yourself, your kids, etc, how is that not also out of concern for the planet? Don't they go hand in hand? 

With all of that aside, I am not trying to push the green agenda or whatever. I simply wanted to get some ideas on how I could run MY business in a more environmentally sustainable way. I know that a lot of clients in my area (which is HUGE on sustainability... and Chico State where I go to school is one of the best) would appreciate me running my company in such a way that is does the least amount of harm to the environment as possible.


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

I have read a few things, cloud. What, do you think I just pull this out of my ass? I'm not Al Gore. 

Fortunately not everything I read is from the liberal green agenda. I read from both sides to get a balanced idea and make my own decisions.

As for China, the rate at which the US is polluting has almost stopped going up. In a few years it will be going down. China, on the other hand, is going up at an astronomical rate. They will pass the US with blazing speed in a few years.

Back in 2007 I read an article at NPR that said China was going to pass the US in pollution by 2009...



			
				NPR said:
			
		

> According to the World Bank, 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China. The industrial revolution transforming the world's most populous country is also destroying its environment. China is now the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main gas linked to global warming, and it is set to overtake the United States in 2009, a decade earlier than previously predicted.



Here's some recent news on this...



			
				New York Times said:
			
		

> BEIJING &#8212; China, the world&#8217;s most prodigious emitter of greenhouse gas, continues to suffer the downsides of unbridled economic growth despite a raft of new environmental initiatives.
> 
> The quality of air in Chinese cities is increasingly tainted by coal-burning power plants, grit from construction sites and exhaust from millions of new cars squeezing onto crowded roads, according to a government study issued this week. Other newly released figures show a jump in industrial accidents and an epidemic of pollution in waterways.



And finally, the Wall Street Journal posted a map that shows particulate matter (air pollution). Take a look at the US, then look at China and tell me how the US is the big bad polluter on the planet.



			
				Wall Street Journal said:
			
		

> To get a sense of how China&#8217;s air quality compares with the rest of the world, there&#8217;s a new map of *global air-particulate pollution* from Canadian scientists using National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite data. The verdict: It doesn&#8217;t look good.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Perhaps it is YOU that needs to read something... :twak:


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## Tbini87 (Nov 12, 2010)

Rekd said:


> Tbini87 said:
> 
> 
> > However, if you haven't noticed, the world's resources are finite and are not as plentiful as they used to be. Water is becoming scarce, forests are being wiped out, and our air quality sucks.
> ...


 
Like c.cloud said, you may want to read some things. Or maybe you don't want to... that wouldn't be surprising. 

And when I say that "MAYBE" someone could....... (buy a Klean Kanteen or whatever else) it is a mere suggestion, not forcing something down someone's throat. You are either not comprehending what is being said or just have something against open discussion about living a green lifestyle.


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

Tbini87 said:


> And when I say that "MAYBE" someone could....... (buy a Klean Kanteen or whatever else) it is a mere suggestion, not forcing something down someone's throat. You are either not comprehending what is being said or just have something against open discussion about living a green lifestyle.



LoL. Backpedle much? :lmao: :lmao:

Here, you tell me you didn't try to convince him to "go green"...



Tbini87 said:


> *Maybe instead of using plastic or paper drinking cups you could buy a Klean Kanteen instead, and won't even have to compost!*



What, exactly, WERE you trying to tell him? 

LoL. Methinks you suffer from not only a lack of reading and comprehension skills, but short term memory loss as well.


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## Tbini87 (Nov 12, 2010)

Rekd said:


> Tbini87 said:
> 
> 
> > And when I say that "MAYBE" someone could....... (buy a Klean Kanteen or whatever else) it is a mere suggestion, not forcing something down someone's throat. You are either not comprehending what is being said or just have something against open discussion about living a green lifestyle.
> ...


 
Do you not see the bold *MAYBE* at the front of the quote you keep using?! At this point I am going to assume you are just joking about all of this. If you are serious, then you seriously have some comprehension problems. That quote is a suggestion. Something along the lines of "you should never be using any cups in the first place and should only be drinking from a KLEAN KANTEEN" would be forcing it down his throat. If he wants to go out and buy a Klean Kanteen because he just found out they existed and likes the idea of no more paper or plastic cups then great. If he doesn't I'm not going to sweat it for a second. If you can't tell the difference of a suggestion and forcing something down peoples throats then it will probably be impossible to have a grown up conversation.


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

Yes. That quote has a suggestion. And the quote before it has a statement that you're not trying to force anyone to do anything. 

Force? No. You're too insignificant to force him to _do _anything. Pursuade? Absolutely. The intent is the same. They hypocrisy is the same.  

You're trying to push your liberal green agenda on us. And in the same breath you're trying to pretend you're not doing it. 

How predictably liberal of you.

So, did you read the stuff I posted about the US vs China as pollutants? I see you simply ignored it.


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## Tbini87 (Nov 12, 2010)

Rekd said:


> Yes. That quote has a suggestion. And the quote before it has a statement that you're not trying to force anyone to do anything.
> 
> Force? No. You're too insignificant to force him to _do _anything. Pursuade? Absolutely. The intent is the same. They hypocrisy is the same.
> 
> ...


 
The assumptions you jump to are laughable. I did read the little pieces of articles you posted... but that hardly shows that you really understand the bigger picture of the earth's condition and how it is worsening at a pretty alarming rate. The fact that you think water and forests are infinite is pretty scary. 

I am not trying to push any liberal green agenda on anyone. I don't even have a liberal green agenda! The stuff you are making up from a thread about brainstorming ideas for photographers to be more green is ridiculous. The fact that I am quite conservative is beside the point. Your ability to instantly come to random assumptions is pretty entertaining, but we need to stop this nonsense. I can see you aren't here to help offer any suggestions or add to any serious debate, so I don't think you will be any help in this thread. Thanks for stopping by anyways.


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## c.cloudwalker (Nov 12, 2010)

Tbini87 said:


> When you say you live pretty green out of concern for yourself, your kids, etc, how is that not also out of concern for the planet? Don't they go hand in hand?



Yes and no. Yes because I want to leave as clean a planet as possible when I die. No because, when it comes to environmental problems I don't believe one person can make much of a difference. The problem is too vast and requires cooperation from the world community which I am not likely to see.



Rekd said:


> Perhaps it is YOU that needs to read something... :twak:



With an average of 200 books a year (less than 10% of which are novels) I don't think I need a reading lesson from you. And I read from all sides while you're 3 quotes all come from the same side...

Not only that, they are all US sources. Do you know what the rest of the world says on the subject? Not that we actually need to go outside the country, we do have honest people talking about our problems. They just don't get heard much because we prefer to keep our heads in the sand.


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## Rekd (Nov 12, 2010)

LoL. Typical. 

You sit there and attack me instead of discussing the points. 

When you grow up and figure out where our drinking water comes from and what will happen if the earth really _does _increase by 1 or 2 degrees in temperature in the next hundred years come back and we'll have a big boy talk about what really happens in a green house and how plants deal with the so-called pollution that is Co2.

And cloudy, I quoted this side of the issue because I am arguing for the facts on this side. If you'd like to debate the facts about this, from either side, I'm game, and capable. There's plenty of fuel for both sides to debate this argument. 

I simply choose to believe the more rational side that believes in conservation while not taxing people for breathing.


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## Tbini87 (Nov 12, 2010)

c.cloudwalker said:


> Tbini87 said:
> 
> 
> > When you say you live pretty green out of concern for yourself, your kids, etc, how is that not also out of concern for the planet? Don't they go hand in hand?
> ...


 
I totally understand where you are coming from. That is probably the toughest part about living a green lifestyle. It takes more effort and money and it can be hard to see the personal benifit. However, if you want to leave as clean a planet as possible for you children then I still think the two go hand in hand. Might its just be a difference of perspective.


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## KmH (Nov 12, 2010)

c.cloudwalker said:


> Wow, Rekd, you might want to read a few things. You could start with "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen......


How do you or anyone else know that what James Loewen wrote is truth?


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