Talking About Green

As we all know, it is all about the footprint you choose to leave behind. Professional photographers and amateurs alike are set on getting that great shot. They are intent on capturing the beauty of nature but they may not always be conscientious of what they may be doing to destroy the very habitat that they are intent on photographing. Watching years of National Geographic and other Nature shows, it is clear that the photographers were extremely careful about disturbing even the rocks of the shoot location. Which begs the question, what, if anything, could be done to make certain that efforts to get the shot did not ruin the area? Here are five tips that can help any photographer be a steward of the environment.

1. Do not actively destroy or damage anything to get a great shot. Sometimes it may be tempting to, for example, break off a few branches to get that shot of a 15 point Buck but don’t. Alive or dead those branches are important to this ecosystem.

2. Be obedient to the rules of the area. If there are signs that say “no flash” then check and double check that you turned off your flash. There is always a very good reason for these signs which many times can also be for your own personal safety. You may entertain the thought that this just one flash won’t hurt anything. Think about it this way though, there are hundreds of others who probably have had that same thought. What if, in this example, your flash is the one that is the final straw and destroys something wonderful?

3. Leave nothing of yours behind. Be especially careful with the materials you have with you that are non-biodegradable. If you aren’t aware of the impact these kinds of materials can have on the environment, pictured here is one of the saddest things that a simple object can easily do to creatures. This turtle is extremely deformed because he was caught in a plastic six pack ring.

4. Leave the environment behind. Removing what you think is a great souvenir could actually be a creature’s home. A common occurrence is there are those who go out into forested areas and come back with a bird’s nest. What is never considered is how many species of birds actually come back and reuse their nests year after year. Another issue is the capturing and removal of young or baby creatures. There are far too many juveniles brought home because they are cute and cuddly, but are let go when they have become too wild or big to handle. This is where the problem happens because these animals are worse off than if they were handicapped. Unaware of natural dangers they are sitting ducks for whatever predators are out there.

5. If you aren’t already, use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. Besides the obvious financial benefits they also keep you from adding to the battery graveyard at the landfill. The chemicals inside of the batteries leak out and spread out into the soil, groundwater and surface water. Tainted water and plants are consumed by animals and people. It goes without saying that these chemicals are not good for any living creature and have some serious harmful effects.

Being a green photographer doesn’t have to be difficult, you just have to be little more aware. Having a better appreciation of the environment will probably have the added effect of getting better images because you have an understanding of your surroundings than those who don’t take the time to.

Author:
Rick Valence loves to read and write short stories, books and especially blogs. He considers himself a bit of a wine aficionado and enjoys spending his vacations in the beautiful California Wine Country discovering great new wines and food pairings. Rick works Monday through Friday as a digital camera repair specialist at C.R.I.S. Camera Services in Chandler, Arizona. He is also the webmaster of his company’s camera repair blog.