In Search of the Green Photo Studio

We have no outright evidence of this, but we suspect that one of the good things about digital photography is the effect (or rather lighter effect) it has on the environment. That notion got us to wondering whether there are any photographers out there who have purposefully designed a "green"  studio. Does anyone know of photographers who have adapted their businesses to an environmentally sound standard? We'd love to hear.
—David Schonauer

Comments

[DanL]

I use didgital and I think I am as green as I can. I still use all of the formats but I don't know if they can be completly green Die-sub, ink and silver are all I use and though they use much less today as they did in the past (i.e. consumables) I don't think they can be called green because they have a by product of waiste. The die sub has ribbon, the ink has cartriges and the silver... we all know what that is like so I don't think there is a total green photo studio. Unless one uses only the web to show and sell with no paper product. Then that would be the greenest of all, still have to use electric power and out here where I am, I can use solar for my web conect. does that count?
:)
DanL

[Martijn Mollet]

Here in the San Francisco area there are two Certified Bay Area Green [photography] Business outfits: www.nitawinter.com and my own, www.molletphoto.com. Molletphoto was featured as a green studio in PDN's CA Studio Guide. Aside from shooting digital, Molletphoto: is 100% greenhouse gas offset through the purchase of renewable energy certificates, driven by biodiesel, utilizes efficient office lighting, and reduces consumption and waste. I uphold to social and environmental standards that have given Molletphoto Co-Op America membership: "approved for people and planet". By the way DanL, I seriously doubt you are "as green as can be". When you look at the scope of what can be done, Molletphoto isn't even as green as can be. There's always more work to be done...

[Bryan L. Davies]

We are designing one of Canada's first stand-alone solar powered digital portrait studios which will run our studio lights, computers, printers and battery charging systems.

We ecourage our clients to accept their images through FTP and CD/DVD. Fewer paper prints. All proofing is done on our computers. Thereby reducing our need for printing paper and ink. We recycle all of our ink jet cartridges.

Reducing our dependence on fossil-fuel-based electricity,
generation will help to decrease our carbon footprint. We believe that, in the future, most digital portrait studios in North America will be built using solar or wind generated electricity.

If you would like more info please contact us:
Bryan Davies Photography
Toll Free 1-877-366-5775
Creemore, Canada.