SUSTAINABILITY AND PHOTOS
Alexandra Godfrey
Photography can help encourage climate change awareness through appealing to people’s emotional reactions. We read about the horrible effects of climate change in newspaper articles and hear reports on the news, but it is the photography that affects people and encourages them to learn more. People listen to the words of climate activists and see the demonstrations, but photography allows them a more emotional and personal connection to the issues at hand.
Photography tugs at our emotions in a way words may not. Words can be more easily manipulated and are subjective to interpretation in a way photography is not. Yes, photography can be interpreted differently based on a person’s opinions and values, but it also illustrates more plainly what is occurring in a situation.
One of the more heartbreaking statements I have heard recently is “our children and grandchildren won’t get to see the landscapes we do today”. We are already seeing the horrifying degradation of land and loss of biodiversity through our own eyes today, imagine what future generations will see. Have you ever been skiing? Snowboarding maybe? Hiking with spikes up icy mountains? Snowshoeing in the thick fresh snow? For many of the kids of the future, that will seem like a fantasy.
For many children, a dusting of snow might be ‘prime sledding conditions’. We see this throughout the Northern Hemisphere. I grew up in Massachusetts, where snowdays and Nor’easters in January took our power out for days. Where we always had a white Christmas, even if it was just a dusting. Now winter precipitation is more often than not rain. Since only 1930, US locations have seen a 60% decrease in snowfall.
How can we help people see the very real effects of climate change globally, as photographers? We can continue to document our environment around us, to compare and contrast footage from decades ago. We can use our lenses to show undeniable evidence of climate change and our ever-changing landscapes. I can remember in middle school our science textbooks illustrated the retreat of glaciers due to global warming, and I can remember the reaction of my fellow students who would gasp in response. Photography is what causes this reaction, not statistics listed on a page.
It is also important to note that, as photographers, we ourselves can aim to be more sustainable in the practice of photography. Instead of purchasing the newest equipment and various accessories, we can use what we have around us to create artistic content. Not only can this be much more affordable, but it allows us to participate in reusing materials and reducing consumption. When making prints, keep them to a minimum, only what you need. Make sure to respect the nature around you when photographing, avoiding damaging the environment or altering habitats for a “good shot”. Focusing on more local suppliers of materials is also important in reducing transport of goods, while likely limiting packaging (for shipping purposes) and other resource usage. Though photography can help us to see the changes in our landscapes, it can also be a cause of pollution from overconsumption.
Our main focus as sustainable photographers should be to:
Leave no trace
when you photograph in an area, leave it as you found it!
Minimize power consumption
Use high quality batteries and avoid wasting electricity!
Reduce & reuse
Buy materials second hand and don’t replace your equipment just to have the “newest thing”!
Focus on high quality versus quantity
Educate yourself and others
I have only been on this Earth for a couple of decades, but hopefully in the next handful I will be able to contribute to this movement of environmental photography. Here are some photos for the year 2024 from my studies in Bergen, Norway. We shall see what it looks like in 30 years time (hopefully not tooooo different). Here is to advocating for change and making a difference in the world of climate activism as photographers!
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 16.