It’s time for us all to practice low carbon footprint photography
Taken in a local café and edited on my iPhone
Photography is often thought of as a tool that can help promote the plight of the planet
How many times have images of polar bears stranded on icebergs or chimneys belching pollution into the atmosphere shaped our view on current environmental issues? Doesn’t that outweigh the need for low carbon footprint photography? Isn’t photography a force for good? Surely many images encourage viewers to reconsider the impact we have on the environment?
The reality is that our hobby actually creates a greater carbon and planetary footprint than many of us might think. The growth of the photography has led to trends that, as photographers, we might not want to think about.
Last month, I wrote about my photographic manifesto. One of the key parts of this is to practise low carbon footprint photography as much as possible. So what is leading me to say that we all need to rethink our photographic footprint? Here’s the first reason:
The impact of photographic tourism is huge
Many photographers that I speak to travel far and wide to make the right images. The carbon footprint of tourism is higher than you might think: it is 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Every time we jet off to, or even drive to, some classic photography destination, we contribute to that.
But there’s more. Photography has a societal impact as well. We affect habitats, change the economy and culture of areas, pollute and potentially raise crime. This article covers some of the general issues of tourism, that are just as applicable to photography tourism.
A lot of photography tours concentrate on taking participants to all the classic beauty spots. That puts pressure on the infrastructure and the local economy of many areas. That money could equally well be spent in less well-known areas of countries.
Let’s look specifically at Iceland, a highly popular photography destination. This article points to photography tours being run to areas that cannot sustain the environmental impact of the current number of visitors. It also highlights the damage that a single image can create when too many people want to copy it. And there is the bigger societal issue that some of Iceland’s traditional sectors have shrunk to the point where the country’s economy is now reliant on foreign visitors. That’s a problem when there are global pandemics.
There’s more we should consider as well
Our impact as photographers is not just about the travel that we carry out. Do we really need the vast amounts of equipment that so many of us purchase? Digital cameras cannot be manufactured without using rare earth metals for the microprocessors. But you may not be aware of the way in which they have been mined, with an environmental impact of up to 100 years. There’s a social cost to this mining as well.
There is also still a big interest in in classic film photography. This can have an environmental impact as well. Neither the film not the chemicals are good for the environment.
But when we consider all of the impacts we are having, are we taking all the fun out of photography?
Low carbon footprint photography can still be highly rewarding
Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson are well known for their Zero Footprint project. They spent five years creating a project from their home with absolutely no travel. And they turned the idea into a movement as well.
You can do carry out something very similar. I produce nearly all my work close to home on limited equipment. I’m finding so many more rewarding projects as a result. I recently finished my 1point4 miles project, based entirely on a 1.4 mile walk from my home. I had so much enjoyment and inspiration from it that I already have planned another two projects based on the same walk.
It is even possible to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of film photography. Here is a highly useful resource if you want to move away from harmful chemicals
Here’s how I’m lowering my footprint
Moving forward, these are the steps that I am taking to practice low carbon footprint photography:
I’m eliminating as much travel as possible that is specifically for photography. And I’ll be travelling by public transport as much as possible
Any new equipment purchases will be strictly limited. I’m happy with one body and three lenses and I can’t see a need to upgrade for many years to come
I will also reduce my personal footprint as much as possible. I travel by public transport as much as possible. I am refusing any long-haul travel work assignments. I eat no meat and very limited dairy
Let’s keep this in perspective
I’m not saying that nobody can ever go on a local workshop again or buy a new piece of equipment. But let’s consider what we do more carefully. I recently spoke to someone who is taking a photographic workshop at the other end of the UK for her main holiday. But rather than fly, she is driving there in her electric car. Someone else is buying second-hand lenses rather than new ones. We should still enjoy photography. However, we can do so more responsibly.
What actions can you take to make sure you are practicing low carbon footprint photography?
List the one thing you carried out recently that created the highest carbon footprint
Write down one action you can take to reduce this action
Consider your environmental footprint in the rest of your life as well. Write down a list of five easy wins
What about those images that highlight climate change?
It turns out that most people are tired of the polar bears and belching chimneys. These images are typically either creating indifference or a feeling of being overwhelmed by the impossibility of change. If we want to make a difference with photography, we should create new stories. People are particularly inspired by images that are local to them. Here’s a guide to creating more powerful visuals.
Whether we choose to document climate change or make alternative images staying local is definitely something we can all benefit from. I’ll be sharing more thoughts about this soon.
What will you do as a result of reading this?
I’d really like to hear your thoughts.