Photography and sustainability go hand-in-hand. Learn how to capture environmentally conscious images that will make an impact on your viewers.
There’s an increase in demand for environmentally conscious images that show a true representation of the world we live in. Environmentally conscious images tell stories of the world around us as well as the issues that affect nations globally. Images that tell stories of single-use plastic issues, of global warming, of protecting national parks. Images that celebrate diversity, cultural inclusion, nonbinary individuals, images without boundaries. When taking images with a focus on being environmentally conscious, one needs to be aware of their own effect on the area they are choosing to photograph.
Image by Photographer Andrea Izzotti
This article is for photographers looking to start providing more environmentally conscious images in their stock portfolio. Providing tips on how to create these images that sell, while minimizing the impact on the environment.
Recently, there has been a massive rise in user-generated content that has significantly impacted our environment and how we travel. No longer are places that were once sacred, scarcely visited remote destinations protected from the eyes of the world. With social media, these environments are becoming increasingly visited. And with an increase in tourism, comes an increase in potential pollutants.
As photographers, it is our job to protect the places that provide the opportunity to create and share images with the world.
Image by Photographer Ondrej Prosicky
In this article, we’re sharing 5 tips on how you can take environmentally conscious images. Maximizing the creative opportunities to create amazing content for Shutterstock, while protecting the environment and places we love.
5 Tips on Creating Environmentally Conscious Images
Tip #1: See the world with fresh eyes
Taking images that have a focus on the environment means interpreting a destination through your lens, and telling a story. Having a clear vision of the story you want to tell is the first step to creating environmentally conscious images. When taking images that have an environmental impact, you have to be willing to push yourself into areas that might seem uncomfortable. That’s simply because it’s new.
Image by Photographer Drazen Vukelic
Approaching every opportunity with fresh eyes and an unbiased approach is necessary to capture an image that tells a story. When conceptualizing an image, don’t look at what past photographers have done. Try new angles, shoot as much as possible, and take an editorial approach to show the true likeness of the place you are shooting.
Image by Photographer Riccardo Mayer
Tip #2: Involve the environment you are shooting in
Environmentally conscious images happen when you showcase the hard truth of the landscape and environment you are in. When you are shooting, involve people from the geographical area or cultural group you are photographing.
Image by Photographer Yacobchuk Viacheslav
Documenting single-use plastic? Find a representative of a nonprofit to bring you on a beach clean. Photographing religious temples in Indonesia? Find a representative to show you around and ensure you are respecting the people who worship there. Photography with an environmentally conscious point of view means becoming a traveler, not a tourist, and taking the extra step to respect the cultural environment you are shooting in.
Image by Photographer Tong_Stocker
Tip #3: Stay up-to-date on the latest events
Documenting environmental, cultural, or societal current events means being on top of what’s happening around the world. Before traveling to a new destination to photograph, look into some local papers to find out what events are happening. Maybe there’s a particular holiday being celebrated, or a bylaw that’s about to be passed that has an environmental focus. These can be great opportunities to start conceptualizing a shoot for stock.
Image by Photographer Jacob Lund
Another great place to look for current events and topics that need coverage is Shutterstock’s Shot List. The Shot List is a monthly list that we pull data from what our customers are searching for. This is the ultimate tool to shooting what sells on our platform. Reviewing the Shot List monthly can help your growth as a contributor on our network, and help keep your portfolio current for customers searching for new images.
Tip #4: Become an environmental and cultural ambassador
Your photographs are a true representation of your work as a visual artist, so employ the same environmentally conscious frame of mind to yourself if you want to photograph this type of work.
Image by Photographer Tzido Sun
Planning a shoot? Avoid single-use plastic water bottles and advise your models and team to bring their own. Traveling to new and exciting destinations? Take part of the local environment and get involved in a beach clean, attend a talk by an environmentalist, or find a cultural leader to show you a true representation of the city you are in. Getting involved at a local level before you start shooting is a great way to truly understand and respect a destination, and will only make your work better.
Image by Photographer Ruslan Kalnitsky
Tip #5: Sharing work consciously on social media
Social media has the power to completely change the environment. Take, for example, the closure of Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed. The beach is now closed so the environment can recover due to over-tourism and pollutants. This location was made popular through social media platforms and the movie itself, causing severe damage to the ecosystem of one of the most beautiful and remote beaches in the world.
Image by Photographer Galyna Andrushko
Images have the power to transport viewers into a new and exciting destination and encourage people to travel to such destinations. When you are taking an image in an at-risk environment, be cautious when sharing on social media. Keep the location general to encourage people to forge their own path, instead of just clicking on your location and traveling there.
The social media responsibility
Images are a beautiful tool that has opened so much of the world to people. However, it is also our job and responsibility as creatives to protect these places we love. Share your work with a conscious mind to limit the effects of over-tourism, and use your skills to raise awareness about the destruction of the natural environments. Don’t show images of people engaged in dangerous behavior, or going into areas they aren’t allowed in. This isn’t a true representation of a destination and encourages damage to environments we hold sacred.
Image by Photographer Sasin Tipchai
We hope these tips help you the next time you want to shoot environmentally conscious images. With cameras, we have the power to transform people to beautiful destinations around the world. From the farthest remote corners of the Arctic to tropical underwater paradises in the South Pacific, let’s protect the places we love, and share images that celebrate the environmental diversity that makes the world such an incredible place. Not a contributor yet? Click here to sign up and start submitting your images today.
Top Image by woottigon
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