Like most individuals, wedding photographers can easily fall into the rut of “playing it safe.” When this happens, we lose the sense of urgency and passion that inspired us to photograph people and their life stories in the first place.
But there is a solution. By actively using our skills to promote worthy causes, we as wedding photographers can continue advancing our craft and find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. In October of 2007, I had the honor of traveling to Beijing to contribute my services to the non-profit organization The Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT). This experience re-inspired and challenged my photography in a new way that I now bring into my wedding photography. Below are just a few of the commitments wedding photographers are making to support worthy causes and give back:
1. Contributing services to work with local or international non-profits in order to spread awareness about issues like world hunger, global warming, women’s rights, poverty and literacy.
2. Some wedding photographers donate a portion of their proceeds to charity (usually between 3-10 percent). Fine Art photographers may also donate a portion of proceeds from print sales.
3. Offering their services at a discounted rate or FREE of charge to a needy bride or couple who simply cannot afford the photographers rates. This practice is more common than you may suspect.
4. Sponsoring local community events for children and the elderly. These photographers may also volunteer their studios to host community events like book clubs, band practices or live events.
5. Eco-friendly photographers are beginning to use solar chargers for their batteries and portable electronic devices. The photographers may often limit or refrain from using strobe or flash lighting equipment in an effort to minimize their consumption of energy.
6. Some minimize paper consumption by emailing PDF files and using online word processing programs like Google docs for important forms. This also saves on postage and reduces the downtime between contract signing and deposit.
7. There is also the practice of seeking out weddings that reflect cultural diversity and expose the photographer to a new social environment.
8. Volunteering at local community center or school to teach photography.
9. Donating older equipment (cameras, computers, lenses etc.) to educational art programs.
10. Using Kiva.org to send a small loan to a needy person with business idea in a developing nation.
These days, it is very common for socially conscious wedding photographers to make two or more of these commitments. Although this list is not a measure of a photographer’s quality or skill, if there is a toss up between two photographers of equal talent, this type of question may assist you in selecting the one that identifies with your ethics and values. What’s more, many of these solutions are open to anyone and the reward of giving back is truly priceless.
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