I love nature and everything in it so much that I have been an environmentalist practically my entire life. I will always and forever advocate for the Earth. Because of this, I put a lot of thought and intention into my daily life with my environmental impact in mind, and I want to give you all some tips on some basic, small sustainable switches that I enjoy implementing daily & as a photographer.

Let’s start with some daily switches you could make today! And keep in mind, you and no one has to be perfect doing these things:

Buy with Intention - Your purchasing power is a superpower and an easy, sustainable switch. Ask yourself these questions before buying food, clothes, or other items. Do you want to put your money towards large corporations whose money goes to a millionaire who couldn't care less about your purchase, or do you want to put your money towards a small business, artist, or organization that would directly make a positive impact on them & support your community? Is what you’re purchasing a need or just a want? Is there an alternative to what you want to buy that you could find used or 2nd-hand? Before purchasing anything, ask yourself these questions and make it a habit to put more intention behind what you’re buying. It took me years to get into the habit of purchasing more intentionally. For example, if I choose to eat out, I will 99% of the time go to a cafe, restaurant, or market in my area because I would rather support their small businesses and employees. Another example is buying used or 2nd hand. I love thrift shopping! There are almost always things you need that you can find 2nd-hand, thrifted, or from an artist/creator/maker.
Eat with Intention - Food plays such a huge role in sustainability! In food & animal agriculture, production and transportation lead to CO2 emissions. Some sustainable tips include eating less meat & dairy, shopping at local markets and grocers, eating seasonally, and/or even growing some of your own food in a garden. Researching and understanding where your food comes from helps you build a better connection with it, so you’re not just mindlessly consuming. To me, food is sacred and a daily ritual everyone should eat with intention. Plus, making these small switches might help you find some healthier options, which will only make your mind & body feel amazing.
Divert Your Waste - Remember the 4 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, & rot. Reduce first by asking yourself, “Do I need to buy this?” Next, Reuse by asking yourself, “Can I find this 2nd hand/ thrifted?” Once something is used & there is waste, then ask, can this be recycled or rot (aka composted)? Food waste and overfilled landfills are major issues that environmentalists are trying to tackle. Reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting are great ways to divert waste & help with the landfill issues. Composting is fun and super easy to do yourself with a wooden box in your backyard, a starter compost bin, or a community compost program like Compost Nashville. Recycling is an easy switch since most neighborhoods offer curbside recycling. Recycling convenience centers are almost always within reach and offer additional options for items such as glass, metals, electronics, and batteries. Be intentional with product packaging when you do need to purchase something. For example, buying a soda in an aluminum can vs. a plastic bottle is a simple one! Aluminum is easily recycled, whereas plastic is rarely recycled. Another example is switching to buying in bulk or finding a refill store! One of my favorite shops is The Good Fill. Here, you can take any jar or container and reuse it to store anything from cleaning supplies to shower supplies. This has helped me get rid of a lot of single-use plastics in my life! The Good Fill even has TerraCycle boxes for personal products, office supplies, and a whole list of items you can find on their website and take to the shop to recycle.
Energy & Transportation - Use energy, water, heat, and all of those things with intention as well. Walk, bike, take the bus, or carpool more with friends! Schedule trips and errands altogether, versus going back and forth so much to use less fuel. I love living close to my friends because when we have an event or just want to hang out at the nearby bar, we carpool!
Support Your Local Pollinators - One of the best things anyone can do if you have a yard or a pot with some soil is plant some pollinator-friendly plants. Pollinators make a major contribution to our environment and our food. Their existence, as well as that of many animals & bugs in your local ecosystem, really matters to the overall functioning of your environment, especially food production. We must protect, support, and be kind to them. The TN Environmental Council has some great tips on starting a pollinator garden.

These are just a handful of small changes, and there’s so much more I could talk about! But just like in my daily life, I always try to implement sustainability into my work and hobbies! Here are some sustainable tips you could do as a photographer:

Camera gear - Again, buy with intention! When it comes to camera gear, I never buy brand new and always buy pre-owned or gently used. Why? Because you don’t have to break the bank for good gear (plus I never had the money anyway lol). When I started doing photography as a teenager, I would go to a local used store in the highlands in Louisville, KY, where I grew up, called Chuck Rubin Photography. I found SO many great-priced gear there that helped me get started. Nowadays, I’ll go to Facebook Marketplace; B&H Photo & Video has a “used” option, or buy from friends/family. Even my camera bag is used because if you’ve ever been to a thrift shop or used camera store, they almost always have a ton of camera bags. Buying used is always a great option and not hard to do after a little research.
Product Photography - With product photography, there is almost always a “scene” to set up in a studio or controlled space. When I need extra pieces and items for product photos, I like going to a thrift, reuse, or small business for supplies. Here in Nashville, TN, where I live, there is a creative reuse store called Turnip Green Creative Reuse that has a ton of arts, crafts, and materials for product photography. This is a great option for buying materials used instead of new, plus it supports a local organization.
Delivering Photos - When delivering photos to clients, send them digitally to reduce paper from printing or mailing. Although I have started shooting film and learning more within the past few years, I have mostly always shot digital.
Photographing People & Places I Support - I almost always try to work with people, small businesses, artists, or organizations that I love and support! Because working and creating content for them just gives them more content and, in the end, a stronger online and digital presence to get more business and support. I love supporting those in my community!
Photo shoots - On photo shoots, I always bring healthy snacks (almost always mixed nuts or fruit) and my reusable water bottle filled up, ready to hydrate! Again with eating with intention. Help your mind & body have a successful photo shoot!
AI Use - Had to mention this one because AI is like the elephant in the room these days. I think AI can be useful to some people, but I don’t think it should be a replacement for anyone’s art. As a creative, you have to be careful using AI in work because it can discredit you and your work. Sure, I’ve used AI for spell-checking, and Adobe Lightroom (like many programs these days) has AI editing tools built in. Although AI is moving too fast, the energy source of data centers and overall environmental impact are not worth using it in your daily or work life 24/7.

Overall, I know a lot of you are thinking small sustainable switches don’t matter, but I’m here to tell you they do! The world isn’t cooked. There is truly power in numbers. Corporations want us to feel “small” and to think our impact doesn’t matter, when in reality they do matter! Here’s a graphic from Commons Earth’s page that helped me put these “small” impacts into perspective.

With power in numbers, huge changes can be made, especially for the Earth. We are the creators of our own universe, so why not take action to live & thrive together in a beautiful world?

All of these are small changes and actions anyone could take in their life today, whether in their personal life and/or as a photographer! No, you do not have to be perfect. We’re only human, and being human is imperfect. Do only what you can, but do more with intention.

If anyone feels inspired and would like more guidance or suggestions on making these sustainable switches, please shoot me a message! I love talking about this kind of stuff! Thanks for reading!

Much Love,

A.M.D.

Tips to Living Sustainably: Daily & as a Photographer

Always Be Curious