Environmental, Social & Governance Policy

Our commitment

We are a commercial photography practice specialising in food, drink and lifestyle work, shooting in studios and on location. We believe good photography and good practice go hand in hand: the way a shoot is run matters as much as the pictures it produces.

This policy sets out how we approach our environmental impact, our responsibilities to the people we work with, and the way we run our business. It is a living document. We review it annually, and add to it through the year as we measure, learn and improve.

Environmental

Food and styling waste

As a food photography business, food is our most visible waste stream, and reducing it is our first priority. We commit to:

• Planning quantities carefully with food stylists to avoid over-ordering.
• Redistributing edible surplus after shoots wherever possible, through organisations such as City Harvest, The Felix Project and FareShare, or community apps such as Olio.
• Prioritising seasonal, local ingredients when sourcing is within our control.
• Composting food waste where facilities allow, and keeping it out of general waste.
• Avoiding single-use plastics on set: reusable water bottles, cups and containers as standard.

Energy and equipment

• Favouring LED lighting over hotter, less efficient sources wherever the creative allows.
• Buying equipment to last: repairing before replacing, buying and selling second-hand where practical, and using rechargeable batteries as standard.
• Choosing certified renewable electricity wherever we control the supply.

Travel and transport

• Grouping shoot days and recces to cut journeys.
• Favouring rail and public transport; car-sharing crew and kit where driving is unavoidable.
• Flying only when a job genuinely requires it, and offering clients local alternatives, such as local crew and local sourcing, before travel is booked.

Props, sets and materials

• Hiring rather than buying wherever possible, and maintaining a reusable library of props, surfaces and backgrounds.
• Building sets to be reused, and donating rather than skipping what we no longer need.

Digital footprint

• Culling and archiving responsibly: data storage has a carbon cost, so we keep what matters and delete what doesn't.
• Choosing green hosting for our website and efficient methods of file delivery.

Measuring our impact

We use the AdGreen Carbon Calculator, the advertising industry's free tool for measuring the footprint of stills and motion productions, to understand the emissions of our shoots, and we support clients who wish to measure alongside us.

Social

People on set

• Fair, agreed rates for assistants, stylists and all freelancers, with prompt payment within 14 days wherever possible.
• No unpaid labour. Assistants and shadowing roles are always paid.
• Reasonable hours, proper breaks and good catering on every shoot.
• Safe, respectful sets, with zero tolerance for bullying, harassment or discrimination of any kind.

Inclusion

• Crewing that is open to talent from all backgrounds, and actively widening the pool of people we hire from.
• Imagery that reflects the diversity of the audiences our clients serve.

Community and mentoring

• Offering portfolio reviews and mentoring to emerging photographers.

Governance

• Transparent pricing: Itemised estimates, usage and licensing explained in plain English, and no hidden costs.
• Written agreements: Clear contracts on every commission, and clear terms for the freelancers we engage.
• Prompt payment: We pay our suppliers and freelancers on time, and hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of clients.
• Data protection: Client information, model releases and location agreements are handled in line with UK GDPR.
• Honest imagery: Retouching and post-production that stays within UK advertising standards (the CAP Code), and transparency with clients about any use of generative AI in delivered work.
• Insurance and safety: Public liability insurance is maintained, and risk assessments are carried out for shoots that need them.
• Suppliers: Preference is given to labs, rental houses and suppliers with published environmental and ethical commitments.

The year ahead: our goals

Between now and our next review, we aim to:

• Measure the carbon footprint of at least three productions using the AdGreen Carbon Calculator, and set a baseline to improve on.
• Send zero edible surplus to waste on shoots we control, with a redistribution plan in place before every food shoot.
• Move to a certified renewable electricity tariff where we control the supply.
• Build a preferred supplier list against environmental and ethical criteria.
• Mentor at least one emerging photographer and complete one pro-bono project.
• Annual University talks for photography students.

This policy is reviewed annually. Questions about it are welcome: lizzie@lizziemayson.com