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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Earth Day- Tips for being a "Green" photographer
Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 2:29 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Since today is Earth Day, it would be nice to see what ideas you have for being a "green" photographer. |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 2:33 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Shoot digital instead of film, far less chemicals |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 2:41 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> I forgot to add my tip!
Unplug chargers when not in use, they still use electricity if they are plugged in. You can plug them all into a power strip and use the on/off switch. |
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Ron Holman, Photographer
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Visalia | CA | USA | Posted: 2:42 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Forget to change white balance when under flourescent lights. Oh, and rinse off the 28 solar panels on my roof for better effeciency. |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 2:44 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> A lot of us do plenty of advertising using printed materials.
PRINT ONLY WHAT YOU NEED!!!
I know printers will offer you a better deal if you print more, but honestly just we know plenty of times the extras don't end up in the trash. So say NO when they offer you 100,000 more runs of your business card. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 2:44 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> Done Kirby!
Thanks for the link!
Now if I can get the phone company from delivering phone books each year.
Does anybody still use those things? |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 2:54 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> Rich, thank you for starting this thread. I really appreciate your efforts.
Just remember no one is perfect at being "green" all the time.
The worst is when you don't try at all. |
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Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 10:22 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> Truth be known you're kinda maxed out negative green the first time you buy a DSLR (or any significant electronic gadget for that matter). The amount of exotic toxic waste created during electronics production is staggering.
The earth of course will be fine...it operates on a slightly different time scale than we do, and has a marvelous ability to reset itself over a few millenia. We're only really hurting ourselves...trashing the hotel room rockstar-style relatively early in the day, as it were. |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 10:39 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> David, you don't have to go "green" for the environment. But you can always adopt environmentally practices to save money. Everyone loves saving money.
But by saying everything will be fine and not changing ANYTHING we do is just naive. |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 10:49 AM on 04.22.09 |
->> Hi David, just re-read your post. I misinterpreted your message.
The Earth will be fine in a few millennia. But I would rather see the human race here rather than 6-foot cockroaches and 35 foot panda bears. |
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Andrew Knapik, Photographer, Assistant
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Lincoln Park | MI | USA | Posted: 10:49 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Drive a Hummer to your Earth Day photo assignment? |
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Bob Ford, Photographer
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Lehighton | Pa | USA | Posted: 10:54 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Many retail locations will take used batteries and dispose of them properly. |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 11:08 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Andrew you may be clubbed to death by Earth Day attendees, just like baby harp seals on the first day of hunting season. =) |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 11:19 AM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Pour your used developer and fixer into the sink instead of directly into the creek by your home. |
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Landon Finch, Photographer
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 12:03 PM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Transition to rechargeable AA batteries if you haven't already done so. I am blown away by how many disposable AA's I would have gone through had I not done this years ago. Just in a typical run-and-gun strobe shoot I'd be using 16 (4 in each strobe plus two in each of four pocketwizards). Refresh them before each shoot and you don't have to worry about them dying on you. Make sure you recycle them when they go bad (mine usually last about 18 months), but definitely in positive territory all things considered. |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Phoenix | AZ | USA | Posted: 12:37 PM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Recycle your camera batteries, cell phones, cell phone batteries, laptops and laptop batteries instead of just throwing them away. |
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Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
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San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 1:02 PM on 04.22.09 |
->> Give yourself more reason to buy things (make sure to sell recycle old stuff):
Consolidate your Computer equipment by:
reducing multiple extrenal HD enclosures by consolidating them into a low power RAID Array (ie. Drobo, HP media smart server, etc.)
Try consolidating your Router, Wireless acess point and Gigabit HUB into one device. (ie. Airport Extreme, Linksys, Netgear all offer similar devices)
Take your CRT and migrate to an LCD to save energy. (Research Color Correct LCDs)
When you're ready for a new computer find something that delays planned obselesance as much as possible. Bargain Basement PCs are not a good idea. |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Phoenix | AZ | USA | Posted: 1:23 PM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> I forgot that if you carry sandbags as part of your kit, take them out of your car when you're not on assignment. Their weight adds up quickly (all of mine weight as much as my camera and light gear combined) and hurts your MPG. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 1:37 PM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> I found a local pre-school that LOVES my slightly used white paper backdrops. The kids get to draw on a huge piece of paper. |
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer
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Coeur d'Alene | ID | USA | Posted: 2:26 PM on 04.22.09 |
->> Rich,
Going off of what you say- for those of you at newspapers, schools in general LOVE the roll ends. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 3:48 PM on 04.22.09 |
| ->> Thanks for the props Kirby! Let's see some more tips folks! |
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Alan Look, Photographer
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Bloomington | IL | United States | Posted: 4:17 PM on 04.22.09 |
->> I must be old, I disagree with a couple of the suggestions...
I'm not trying to pick on anyone. I just don't agree.
Digital indeed is not green. the afore mentioned chems and processes that make the digital products aren't even close to green. Then when a unit dies and is discarded, the heavy metals in them... Well, you can figure out the rest.
Upgrading a piece of gear that already works perfectly - is just a waste. A waste of money, a process that includes the use of more plastics, heavy metals, etc. For what end? to save a couple watts of electricty?
Off to hydro-carbons... Fossil fuel fired electric producing plants are the #1 cause of greenhouse gases in the U.S. Exhaust emissions from vehicles are a distant 2nd, yet we are trying to discard liquid fuel vehicles in favor of electric ones which will cause the fossil fuel fired power plants to operate even more?
I just don't get it.
Earth day has changed so much since I spent a Saturday cleaning up trash from a lake in the rain one day in the early '70's.
reducing weight in your vehicle is a good idea. At the same time don't forget to air the tires up to spec, tune up the engine if needed, clean the air filter, change the oil, check the belts, fix the oil and antifreeze leaks, keep your foot out of the gas at the stoplights, etc. Good maintenance and driving habits go a long way.
Paper backdrops - are you using both sides before discarding? Paper does have 2 sides.
disposable batteries are a top notch money saver. I don't know if the environmental impact is any less except that you won't use as many. Does lithium polute less than a standard carbon based battery?
Disposing of developer-fixer. It can be replenished many times before having to be thrown away completely, but then again so can a compact flash card. So is one any better than the other in the long run?
Hummer - they make a hydrogen model, or at they built one as a concept (look at my photoshelter archive if you don't believe me). Hummers may not be the most efficient, but they become a lot more efficient if they are carrying passengers to capacity and not just a driver, but then again so does my F150. I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here, but it's best to fill the vehicle with more than one person anytime it's possible.
CFL light bulbs - what a farce! they have mercury in them and do little for the U.S. economy. I may be wrong, but I don't believe there is one single manufacturing plant in the country to build them. Not sure about LED bulbs, but at least there isn't any mercury and the operate at even less wattage than the CFL's.
I could go on and on, but this is the longest post I think I've ever typed and my fingers are getting tired.
If you want to be green, think about the whole life cycle of the product before using it or discarding it.
Oops, someone just kicked the pedestal out from under me.
Alan
http://www.alanlook.com
http://chimperscage.blogspot.com (guess I should put this post on the blog) |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 4:24 PM on 04.22.09 |
->> Wow Alan! you make some points, but you are missing the big one. Re-Use, recycle, repurpose.
I can buy a new digital camera every year and as long as I sell or give it away, I am not adding to the problem.
No, I do NOT use both side of a paper backdrop. One side is dirty because it has been on the floor.
CFL light bulbs save 75% of the electricity of a standard bulb and CAN be recycled.
When it is time for a new notebook computer, my old one will go to my niece.
I seriously doubt film is greener than digital. I don't even burn to DVD anymore. I use small portable drives and the web to transfer files. |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 10:17 AM on 04.23.09 |
->> "The earth isn't going anywhere. We are!"
"Maybe the earth wanted plastic,... so it created us to make it."
"Maybe that's the meaning of life."
"Plastic a..hole!"
G. Carlin. |
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Dominick Reuter, Photographer, Assistant
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 11:56 AM on 04.23.09 |
->> does this mean my photography is inherently magenta?
maybe that's what the guy at the print shop has to keep correcting... |
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Steve Violette, Photographer
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Gulf Breeze | FL | USA | Posted: 4:39 PM on 04.23.09 |
->> +1 Alan
and B&H catalogs and phone books for that matter are printed on recycled paper. Production of these catalogs means jobs for papermakers, ink producers, Product photographers, etc. By the way, the paper companies that make these paper products plant more trees every year than they harvest. please see www.weyerhaeuser.com and others as prime examples.
Steve |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 5:56 PM on 04.23.09 |
->> Here is another tip.
Buy a fuel efficient car for day to day use and rent larger vehicles when you need them.
I am single and there is no reason for me to drive a big SUV or van around 95% of the time. |
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