Without realizing it, the practices that my family and I have chosen to honor in our every day lives have inadvertently spilled over into my photography business. I’ve already set in place some green practices with my business for a while now, I just haven’t really brought it to anyone’s attention through my marketing techniques. And with that said, this is step one in those endeavors.
If you’ve ever read my biography for my site, you already know my love for the environment. I was raised up a forester’s daughter, have a Forest Resource Management degree myself, and am married to a forester/ soil scientist/ hydrologist. So my background kept me in the woods, which is the very place I still find myself a lot of times when I need to slow down and relax. Throughout my life I’ve developed an appreciation for our natural resources, and I want my children, and my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren to be afforded the same opportunities and resources that I was, from our environment. Sustainability is the word for that; I believe that what we practice today will secure the futures of our succeeding generations. We owe this to them!
I am not a “tree-hugger” or “bunny-hugger”; I am a Christian who believes that God created the Heavens and the Earth and that it is our responsibility, by being good stewards of the land, to take care of what we have been so graciously given to enjoy. I believe that we humans are slowly destroying the very resources that keep us alive. We wouldn’t be ANYwhere without our soil first and foremost. It is our life source– our food; our water purification system; in combination with trees, our air purification; and so much more! I believe our resources should be utilized, but in a conservative and sustainable manner. *exiting soap box*
So you may be questioning yourself, “what exactly do you do Charlotte, that is so-called green?” Well… glad you asked 🙂
- I use digital cameras instead of film, reducing the left over harsh chemicals from processing the film.
- I display and share client photos using an online photo gallery as opposed to proofs.
- I’m making the switch to a professional print lab who are environmentally conscious and offer eco-friendly products; however, I will still use my current lab for other products requested by the client that is not offered by the new lab.
- I encourage clients to only print the photos they want to display prominently.
- I use rechargeable batteries in my equipment.
- I reuse shipping boxes and packing material received.
- I recycle all paper, cardboard, bubble wrap, styrofoam, plastics, cans and bottles; and, I am proud to say that my family and I use and recycle/ reuse more glass than plastic. We even managed to eat a whole gallon of pickles just so that I could have the jar for liquid storage! 🙂 lol But now we know more about food colorings and wouldn’t eat them next time due to the Yellow #5 in them, but that’s another story. tehe
- I clean air filters frequently to keep furnace and A/C working efficiently.
- I reduce trips to essentials and do more than one errand per trip.
- I have my automobile fluids changed at a facility that recycles them.
- I unplug unused power supplies that use energy even when nothing’s attached.
And these, my friends, are only a few of the ways we can better utilize our resources. I’m sure I’ve left out quite a few.
OH yeah, and I use eco-friendly cleaning supplies! I leave you with my “green” photo challenge photos 🙂
Couldn’t decide which “green” route I wanted to take for this challenge. So… like I mentioned above, my husband is a soil scientist; we are VERY mindful as to what we dump into our world’s purification system (the soil). Thus we use eco-friendly cleaners around our home as they are dumped into our septic systems which are purified by the soil at some point and returned to us as drinking water. And then… I snapped a picture of our son eating his breakfast one morning. Salsa scrambled eggs with a side of avocado in his green pjs 🙂
Happy Earth Day! But most importantly, praising God on this Good Friday!