Eco-Friendly Wedding Photography and Videography
Tips for Choosing an Eco-Friendly Wedding Photographer
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Choose an eco-friendly photographer that will provide you with the digital images online or on a CD/DVD.
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Ask the photographer if they can deliver the images to you electronically on a website or FTP site.
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Avoid photographers that refuse to include the digital images in their packages.
Consumers have grown accustom to having digital images on their computer and want the ability to use them electronically as they see fit.
They want to e-mail them to friends, share them on social networking sites, digitally scrapbook them, and have found many other creative uses.
Photographers that keep the original digital images from their clients that paid them to take their photo, are not considered eco-friendly.
They do not understand today's consumer needs and are using an old outdated way of holding you hostage and charging for each print.
Most eco-friendly photographers have a passion for the art of photography and will include the images for free or for an additional nominal fee.
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Avoid photographers that try to upsell you on extra non-green things you don't need.
Decide ahead of time if you really need a huge expensive framed print or need a lot of extra printing services.
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Delay ordering albums, prints, and framed photos until after you see the photos and can decide what you need.
Only print the ones you really need to display.
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Ask your photographer for alternatives to leather photo albums.
Formaldehyde, coal and cyanide-based oils are used in the production of leather, and the tanning process is equally as bad for the environment.
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Ask your photographer about greener choices for the photo paper used for your prints.
There are some excellent alternatives available.
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Don't use disposable table cameras. Most of your guests will be carrying digital cameras anyway.
It is easy to provide a laptop with a memory card reader for use as a "Photo Station" so guests can upload their photos of your wedding before they leave.
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Put the photos on a website or online photo gallery to share with your guests.
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Find an eco-friendly online photo service that can display the photos online, take orders online, and delivers the images to you locally or via US Mail.
For example, Shutterfly can send them to a local Target store to be printed.
US Mail is more eco-friendly than other delivery services because they don't have to make a special trip to your house, and they use natural gas powered vehicles in many areas.
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Use Digital Photo Frames or a PC-based slideshow to display your photos at home and at work.
Purchase a small rechargeable photo keychain to carry your photos with you.
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Ask your photographer if they are a Certified Green Photographer ®
When choosing an eco-friendly photographer, make sure they shoot 100% digital.
Film is responsible for some nasty environmental pollution. For example, dichloromethane (methylene chloride) is a carcinogenic solvent used in the production of film. Silver is used in the production and processing of film and can be more toxic to aquatic organisms than mercury. For every roll of film developed, at least 4 ounces of toxic chemicals are disposed of, usually down the drain and into our waterways.
In 2005, the Stockholm Water Authority noted that the increased use of digital photography over traditional film photography has cut the silver pollution by 50% in the city's sewers in just five years.
When choosing prints, remember that the paper used to print pictures is chemically treated and is typically not recyclable or recycled.
Eco-Friendly Videographers
New ideas on how to make eco-friendly wedding choices emerge regularly.
Please Contact Us with your suggestions.
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