How to photograph sustainably | 10 tips

27 Oct 2024 | photography

Jochem Oomen | Duurzaam fotograferen | Foto: Sander de Wilde

Did you know that there is such a thing as sustainable photography? In fact, as a photographer, you can reduce your carbon footprint. But sustainable photography, how do you do that? You’ll read about it in this article.

Why is photography not always so sustainable?

Since the arrival of digital photography, not only the number of photo cameras increased, but also the number of photo files. And that’s sometimes where the shoe pinches: by buying new equipment each time, you increase your ecological footprint. Because the chips, which cameras are equipped with today, are not yet produced in an environmentally friendly way. Not to mention the working conditions for miners who mine the necessary metals….

In addition, RAW files are getting bigger and bigger. For example, after a photo shoot of two hundred images, you quickly need 6 GB of disk space. Because today’s RAW files often contain at least 30 MB of information. This is fine if they are on an external hard drive, but in the cloud it takes a lot of energy. This is because data, which are in clouds, are on servers that are also running. And most servers do not yet run on renewable energy.

So how can you photograph sustainably? 10 tips

With this information in mind, you can start looking for steps to make your photography workflow more sustainable. Below you can find 10 tips on how to be more sustainable as a photographer.

1. Make a conscious choice to buy used or new

Working with second-hand materials is, of course, heartily sustainable. That certainly applies to lenses, which last forever. But with a body, it’s a different story. Here the golden rule is usually to better choose a new one. This is because today’s mirrorless cameras contain software that needs to be updated. And often you’re better off with new cameras then, because they last longer in the end.

Want to know more about used photo materials? Then read this article to choose whether to go for used or new.

2. Rent photo equipment

Do you occasionally need a lens that costs thousands of euros for a photo shoot? Then it may be more interesting to rent it instead of buying it. Companies like Kamera Express Rental offer an excellent service in both the Netherlands and Belgium. This is not only budget-friendly, it is also a sustainable solution. By renting equipment, which you do not use often, you reduce your ecological footprint as a photographer.

3. Opt for bicycle or public transportation

Very convenient to go everywhere by car for photo shoots, but in cities you can often reach everything by public transport. Especially in densely populated countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Do you need to be further into Europe as a photographer? Up to 1000 km it is perfectly doable to choose the train instead of the plane.

Some photographers lead digital nomadic lives. Want to know how to tackle that sustainably? Then discover here all about the sustainable digital nomad.

4. Expose, but flash in moderation

Although the most sustainable solution is not to flash at all, as a photographer you can hardly avoid this. By opting for rechargeable batteries, you already emit less CO2. And do you have a fully equipped studio? Then you can always make the shift from bog to green energy, if you haven’t done so already.

There are also photographers who swear by daylight. Wondering how they go about it? Then read here how to make the most beautiful photos with daylight.

5. Use the cloud as little as possible

In recent years there has been a profileration of cloud services worldwide. Very convenient to access your files anywhere, but totally unsustainable. Because, as mentioned, cloud data is simply stored on a server, which consumes a huge amount of electricity. And often that energy is not generated sustainably. It’s much easier to go old school for external hard drives. Beware: those things break down after a few years, so keep continuous backups of your external hard drives.

Every once in a while it’s good to have a digital clean up. How do you actually do that? Take a look here how to do a digital clean up.

6. Maintain your photo materials

Want your photographic equipment to last as long as possible? Then pay attention to updating your system camera and cleaning your lenses and tripod. And get that sensor cleaned once in a while, too.

Want to know more about cleaning and keeping your camera gear up to date? Then read here how to properly maintain your camera gear.

7. For online use: optimize your photos

Planning to post your images on a website? Optimize your images for the site in question. That means: resize your photos in such a way that the amount of MBs and KBs is significantly reduced, without compromising the quality of your photos. Resizing software can help you do that. You can also choose the modern file format webp instead of JPEG. By extensively optimizing photos, your site requires less space on a server and thus becomes more sustainable.

Looking for a step-by-step plan to resize photos? Then discover here how to resize your photos without losing quality.

8. For online use: choose quiet backgrounds

Photos, which contain a lot of detail, need more pixels. A photo of a group of people against a few bushes full of leaves, where every detail is equally sharp, can be huge. By placing that same group of people against an even background, you significantly reduce the number of megabytes and kilobytes.

9. For online use: blur the busy background

Can’t escape a busy background? Then, as a photographer, you can very easily blur the background. This reduces the number of MBs and KBs as well. Can be useful for street portraits, for example.

10. For offline use: consider print choices

These days there are more and more labs that are committed to sustainable printing. Through a simple search on Google or Ecosia you can find photo prints that may or may not be climate neutral.

Conclusion

Although photographing without carbon emissions is impossible, you can reduce your carbon footprint as a photographer by making conscious choices in your workflow. It’s up to you whether or not to use these tips.

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About Jochem

I am Jochem Oomen, web designer and photographer. My goal is to help sustainable entrepreneurs, organizations and schools gain more customers, participants or students. I do this through sustainable web design and minimalist photography. Read more about me here.

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