Sustainable Sky
My life revolves around nature and my work takes place outdoors in mountains and ocean environments in which I love and want to help protect. However to be able to do this, like every other human, I need to survive and my earnings come from being a consumer and selling consumer products. I invest in camera equipment frequently as technology advances and I sell printed images which is a big part of my income. But we all have to survive, and so we will all have to reduce our impact in different ways, but making small changes is better than none at all. Like many of us, I want to be able to cut down as much as possible any negative impact I have on our planet, so I am constantly exploring new ways in which to do this without having to change her career path.
So I have found ways in which to reduce my impact whilst still travelling and photographing and sharing my images. The first step was into finding quality archival print products that were either recycled or sustainable. I have spent the last few years with open eyes always searching. I now offer fine art acrylic which is 100% recycled. I also offer Hahnemuhle Bamboo fine art paper which last 75 years. I have recently added a wallpaper which is made from recycled plastic bottles. It has increased my admin time dramatically as many of the printers have brought in only one or two products, so I have to use more than one printer. I have spent the last few years finding the best professional printers in most of the world zones which cuts down the carbon footprint on shipping. One of my print partners is completely carbon neutral and uses all recycled packaging. They even buy bicycles for their staff so that they cycle to work rather than drive!
I do not claim to be an expert in climate change and the environment and admit the more I learn the more I feel I don’t know. But this makes me even more hungrier to learn. I don’t feel that my mission in life is to communicate the negative messages about what is going wrong, but to leave that to the scientists and professionals. I want to be able to inspire people through positive imagery with the hope that this will result in people wanting to be better to our planet as well as ourselves by witnessing nature’s beauty and power.