When I was in college at South Carolina, I took a class in entrepreneurship. It didn’t really have much to do with my human resources major, but counted toward the credit I needed.

That class was a real eye-opener for me. Not only was it a class that pushed me toward wanting to be an entrepreneur and have a business of my own some day, but it also made me realize how businesses have a great platform to make a difference in the world. Now, whenever I work on a business idea, I tell myself that if I cannot tie in some sort of philanthropic arm to go with it, then I don’t know that it’s something I want to get into.

By now, I’m sure you’re wondering, “But, Tyler, you haven’t had anything like that for your photography. Doesn’t that count as a business?”

With this new program, which will go into effect for all purchases starting today, I will set aside 15% of my profits to donate to organizations whose causes and visions I support. These organizations don’t have to be big global ones either - I want to make sure I’m spreading the wealth and giving to organizations here in Sussex County and other local communities as well.

The organizations I see the donations going to are those with a focus on conservation (both of wildlife and the environment as a whole), especially if they are ocean-related, but there will also be some animal shelters and other things mixed in on the local level.

In launching this program, I know that not only am I on the right path in working to make my photography a true business, but also that I have the ability to truly making a difference. To me, that is what matters more than anything.

If you would like to read more about this program, and follow along with updates as they happen, I encourage you to head over to the Photographer’s Promise page - whenever a donation is made, I will add the organization’s logo to that page, and also create a running total for the amount donated over time.

Thank you all so much for your support, and I cannot wait to get the ball rolling with this program!

UPDATE (12/6/2022): The photo of Starlight from Assateague Island featured in the blog post is also a link to that image in my print shop. Certain images, including this one, will see larger amounts of profits donated if they are designated for a specific cause. In the case of this image, and also the other images of the ponies available on my print shop, 25% of profits will be donated to the Assateague Island Alliance to help with their conservation and preservation efforts.