How Photography is Becoming Green

When I think of where photography was ten years ago, I realize I’ve become greener without even realizing it. Ten years ago, photography was very much chemical and paper based. Starting with film and ending with the finished print, there were a lot of resources expended to create the final wedding album. Film was manufactured and shipped to the store and then to the photographer. The photographer disposed of the packaging and used the film. The film was then developed using loads of toxic chemicals (By the way, did you know that Cyanide was originally used in photography to create Cyan, hence the name Cyanide?). Prints were made using more chemicals and paper so the clients could see what the photo looked like. In the end, final prints were made using more paper and chemicals.

Today’s digital photographer uses so much less. From the time the photo is taken until the final print is delivered reusable resources are utilized. Compact flash cards which store the photos are used hundreds of times. Photos are edited and process on the computer, all without printing a single image. There are no chemicals required to develop the image. Today, very few photographers provide paper proofs, thus saving more trees. Only the final prints and wedding albums are typically printed. Today photography is friendlier to the environment than it was ten years ago.