Sustainability Statement
I walk or travel by public transport. I only travel by planes as a last resort. I make a donation to the Woodland Trust whenever I do. If possible, I will attend meetings via a digital platform.
I am constantly tweaking my photographic workflows to improve energy efficiency. I turn off all my equipment whenever it’s not in use and I consider the time spent editing on a computer. I switched my electricity supplier to one that provides 100% renewable energy.
For my photographic work, I do not use any cloud storage and I have switched my post-production methods to a software that does not create large scale copies of the images.
My studio is at home, limiting my travel carbon footprint, and I have moved it to the warmest room in order to reduce unnecessary heating usage while producing work during the colder months. I also use a dimmable bulb that can be dimmed as low as 1%.
I aim to purchase equipment from a second-hand source if possible. If not possible, I prioritise purchasing from local suppliers whose green credentials can be verified. Most of my current photographic equipment has been purchased second-hand.
For the moment, I have stopped using traditional photographic processes while I assess the impact of shooting film, developing and printing in a darkroom using chemicals, compared to shooting and printing digitally.
When I print and exhibit work, I look into the environmental impact of the paper waste when I consider the size of my print. I attempt to use sustainably produced paper and water-based inks, and consider reusing existing frames for presentation. Any new frames will be stored in a frame library and will be reused for future work and available to lend to other artists. For the moment, I will not consider producing all the prints in an edition all at once as it would require physical storage. Instead, I will keep an artist proof and relevant technical information so I could reproduce the print perfectly if required.
When I publish work in booklet format, I prioritise using recycled paper as the medium and consider using friendlier printing methods if available. I also initiate conversation with the printers about the size of the sheet so I can use most if not all of it, even if this requires compromises in terms of the size of the booklet. I only use recyclable packaging and attempt to reuse any packaging I have received from other sources.
Every time I produce a physical output of my photographic work, I make a donation to the Woodland Trust.
I am actively seeking to learn more about sustainability in photographic practice and review my statement above.
I open conversations about sustainability and environmental responsibility with photographers and students on photographic / image-making courses.
Please feel free to copy and adapt the actions and statement above if suitable for your own photographic practice, and to share any suggestions via email - contact(at)alexnelu.com. Highly likely that more people making small tweaks to their workflow make a bigger impact than one fully changing theirs.
Alex Nelu / October 2024
latest update / 23 November 2024