Studio1948 Ottawa Wedding and Portrait Photographers

A client asked us the other day what it is that we are doing to become a ‘green’ wedding photography studio- so we of course thought BLOG POST!  Why not let everyone in on what we’ve been working toward for the last few months?  We don’t mind spilling the details, because in this case imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if more photographers get on the eco-friendly bandwagon, everyone benefits!

We started thinking more about how we could make our business more environmentally friendly, and began implementing some ideas and practices to work toward the goal of becoming a greener photography alternative.  The first was a no-brainer:  we work on location, and because of that there is really no need to rent out a traditional studio/office and use up more hydro, natural gas, water etc..  Simply put, staying small means we use less.  And eliminating extra overhead is a very nice benefit too.

The next thing we looked at was the products we offer, and we found a fantastic company that creates the only truly eco- friendly albums.  Plus they are gorgeous books, really beautiful products that we are proud to offer to our clients.  When we can we source things locally, and do business with other businesses who believe in going green.  We also offer digital files to our clients, something we find to be both popular and practical.  We live in a digital age, and when people share images with friends and family they want to do so via email, or social media.  We don’t carry pictures in our wallets, we load our ipods with an album of images.  So you get the best of both worlds- tangible, beautiful albums that are true works of art but also kind to the environment, and digital products that fit your lifestyle.

Packaging is another area we are getting serious about, and along with trying to use recycled papers and natural fibers, we are also trying to use less.  This one is hard for me, because I’m such a visual person and love it when something looks great, but we’re finding that getting green means being more creative about our presentation, and it’s fun!  Getting rid of the ‘fluff’ also means getting rid of excess paper and paperwork, and we will very shortly be almost completely paperless. I’m also going to mention, though it is a matter of much (and rather heated) debate, that we no longer shoot film, instead opting for digital.  While others may not think there is anything more green about digital, we kind of do.

And then there are the usual things that we are doing in our everyday lives, but applying to our business as well.  When possible we reduce, reuse, or recycle.  We unplug electronics when not in use.  We turn of the lights and turn down the heat. Our car isn’t a hybrid, but it is fuel efficient and maintained- we also try to limit the amount we drive.  We try to support local businesses and avoid the huge chain stores (but I’m not saying I never go to Walmart, I do.  I just don’t go often!).  When we can, we buy fair trade and organic.  It’s an ongoing process, one that we continually work at and would never claim to be expert in–but we believe in the process completely.  If we’re going to leave the earth in any kind of shape for our kids we need to do this stuff!  Pinned on my bulletin board, above my desk is a little button from CUSO that says ‘Live simply so that others may simply live.’  It reminds me that the point in doing all of this is not just as something that benefits me, or my kids, or our business–but it’s part of a system, of something bigger.  We’re a tiny, tiny piece of a bigger picture.

We’re looking forward to learning more, and doing more about being green, and we will share the journey with you all, for better or worse!

And this one actually made it in by Friday!