Part of the work I’m doing in Vietnam for the World Wildlife Fund includes documenting the booming furniture manufacturing industry. In the last two weeks we have toured four very large scale manufacturing plants and I’ve seen more deck chairs than I could have imagined.
All these chairs are made of wood– some of which has been harvested locally in Vietnam but a higher percentage is imported for processing. With such a demand for wood there is an obvious concern that the forests are going to pay the price for our patio furniture.
Thankfully WWF and others are working with the furniture industry to help find the best solutions to responsible wood sourcing. One such program led by WWF is a worldwide partnership organization called the Global Forest and Trade Network. “The goal is to create a new market for environmentally responsible forest products.” Several of the furniture companies we’ve visited have been active members of the Vietnam branch of this program.
Another well known program is the The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC is an international organization that “brings people together to find solutions which promote responsible stewardship of the world’s forests.”
A big part of responsible forest management is tracking the wood through the entire process from a tree in Uruguay, to Vietnam for processing, to a retailer in Europe. For my part I was able to document the documentation at Dai Thanh furniture manufacturing company here in Vietnam. Dai Thanh was clearly keeping track of their wood, and seperating any ‘non-FSC’ wood from their mostly FSC certified products.
I’ve made a quick edit from the tour of the Dai Thanh processing plant to illustrate this process for you.
Hi Scott,
Great images! I was interested in your assignment and wondering how you go about approaching WWF to get assignments like this? Do you actively market yourself to them? Do you they pay you? I work for a small NGO and we would love to send photographers to areas where we work but simply don’t have the budget.
Nick
Nick – thanks for the kind words.
The WWF work started with them searching for some hard to find images of Bristol Bay in Alaska – as it turns out I was one of just a couple photographers who had images from that area. One thing led to another and now I have a good working relationship with them. I do pitch ideas to them occasionally, and they also approach me with ideas. I am paid for my work with them. The income that allows me to continue in this business comes from granting permission for people to publish my images. If was was wealthy I might enjoy donating photography to NGO’s such as WWF, but as it stands I need to be paid so that can continue making photos.
You say that you simply don’t have the budget. I hear this a lot, trust me. The real issue is placing a value on professional images. If a license to my photo costs you $300 for a brochure that helps you bring in a $500 donation then I would argue that my photography is cheap, in fact you can’t afford not to use it. There is nothing that can clearly prove the value of professional photography for your particular NGO, but it is generally understood that photos sell, and good photos sell more than bad ones. I never license my photos for more than I think they are worth to my client. I believe that my images should be a wise investment, and should prove their value by increasing profits, effectiveness, or fund raising power for my clients. The organizations that work with me understand the value of my images to their work and therefore make room in their budget appropriately.
A good photographer is a good problem solver as well, if you want to send one somewhere to make images for you talk to them about how together you could make it feasible. Perhaps the assignment could create other income opportunities for the photographer which would allow him to do the assignment at a lower rate. Or perhaps you could provide access to unique locations or people that would open up other profitable opportunities. Brainstorm ways you can help each other reach your goals.
Budgets are too often taken as a black and white decision making power. Creative problems solving might take your budget much further, and money isn’t the only currency.
There’s a rant on a familiar subject. I’m glad you brought it up, and I hope you are able to use professional photos in the near future. I think they’ll serve you well.
[...] Vietnam – Forests to Furniture – Scott Dickerson recently went to Vietnam on assignment for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to document the furniture manufacturing industry. [...]