A woman smiles while sorting through recyclable material at the Stung Meanchey Landfill in Phom Penh, Cambodia.
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
Over on the Photographylot blog a post written by Tom White said, "Let's face it - photography is a wasteful and ecologically unsound activity. Think of all the plastics, metals, paper and chemicals that get used by us photographers of the course of our careers and plenty of it gets thrown away. Pretty horrendous really."
He wrote that after Photographer Andrea Bakacs alerted him to her blog, Photography For a Greener Planet, "Which seeks to present projects and photographers attempting to redress the balance by photographing stories and making work relating to the environmental damage we humans engage in with our activities and some of the things we can do to minimize our impact."
Sounds like a great idea. But wait a minute!
Photojojo published a list: Ten Tips for Being a Greener Photographer
And Here Are 7 From The List:
Reuse Your Film Containers
Still shooting film? Don't throw out your plastic film containers. Ritz Cameras accepts them for recycling at their stores. Better yet, make stuff out of them! We don't leave home without the flash diffuser we made.
Switch Batteries
Try using rechargeable batteries in your camera instead of ordinary ones. If you have a choice, pick lithium over nickel since it's a bit less toxic. When your regular batteries die, don't throw them out. There are lots of places that recycle them. Earth911 has loads of battery usage tips and a recycling location finder.
Carry a Charge
If you missed the solar charger camera bag, take another look. It's a regular camera bag, except for the solar panel on the top that charges your camera for you. It's just so cool. Amazon has them for about $150.
Donate
Upgrading to a new camera? Donate your old one. The New Orleans Kid Camera Project and Picture Tomorrow both accept used cameras. Your local schools or after-school programs might also be able to use them.
Recycle
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
Over on the Photographylot blog a post written by Tom White said, "Let's face it - photography is a wasteful and ecologically unsound activity. Think of all the plastics, metals, paper and chemicals that get used by us photographers of the course of our careers and plenty of it gets thrown away. Pretty horrendous really."
He wrote that after Photographer Andrea Bakacs alerted him to her blog, Photography For a Greener Planet, "Which seeks to present projects and photographers attempting to redress the balance by photographing stories and making work relating to the environmental damage we humans engage in with our activities and some of the things we can do to minimize our impact."
Sounds like a great idea. But wait a minute!
Photojojo published a list: Ten Tips for Being a Greener Photographer
And Here Are 7 From The List:
Reuse Your Film Containers
Still shooting film? Don't throw out your plastic film containers. Ritz Cameras accepts them for recycling at their stores. Better yet, make stuff out of them! We don't leave home without the flash diffuser we made.
Switch Batteries
Try using rechargeable batteries in your camera instead of ordinary ones. If you have a choice, pick lithium over nickel since it's a bit less toxic. When your regular batteries die, don't throw them out. There are lots of places that recycle them. Earth911 has loads of battery usage tips and a recycling location finder.
Carry a Charge
If you missed the solar charger camera bag, take another look. It's a regular camera bag, except for the solar panel on the top that charges your camera for you. It's just so cool. Amazon has them for about $150.
Donate
Upgrading to a new camera? Donate your old one. The New Orleans Kid Camera Project and Picture Tomorrow both accept used cameras. Your local schools or after-school programs might also be able to use them.
Recycle
If you've completely busted your old camera, recycle that puppy. Staples stores accept used electronics for recycling, including cameras, cell phones and computers. They also take empty inkjet cartridges, so you don't have to add those to the landfill either
Make Some Money
Make Some Money
If you have a lot of stuff to donate or recycle, use it to make some money! Ecophones sponsors recycling fundraisers. They take cameras, cell phones, video games; you name it. Send in your boxes of junk electronics and they'll send you a check.
Switch Paper
GreenPix makes 100% post-consumer recycled inkjet paper. It's available in matte finish, and comes in sizes from 4×6 all the way up to 24×36. Check out a review at Leafygreen.info, or buy it at Red River.
NOW YOU ARE A GREEN GIANT WITH SMALL FEET
All of this should help reduce your ecological footprint as far as your photos are concerned.
And by the way, here are a couple of guys doing good helping kids with photography and I think they could always use a few used cameras.
Their names are Brian Frank, who has done projects with children in Mexico, and Cambodia's Vandy Rattana, who can be reached at vandyrattana@yahoo.com.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs
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