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Rechargeable NiMH batteries go flat without much notice, so it’s important to have replacements handy. The best organizer I’ve found is a bullet holder, an elastic sleeve for nine bullets that’s meant to attach to a rifle’s shoulder stock. Try them out so you get a gauge that holds the batteries securely. With the sleeve threaded onto my bag’s shoulder strap, I ave quick access to nine batteries. I keep only charged batteries in the sleeves, and drop the spent ones into an exterior mesh pocket of my photo bag. Simple, highly functional, and cheap.

The women involved in the project were told to include both the positive and negative aspects of their neighborhoods. More than just evoking emotion, the photos allowed the mothers to look at what was happening around them in a different way. Owens realized that the severe asthma attack the brought her young children to the hospital was likely caused by the smoke from the nearby waste incinerator that poured over her neighborhood.

I don’t like giving away too much information about upcoming issues of American Photo. But I can tell you that our September/October issue is going to be devoted in large part to the issue of the environment and what photographers are doing to help save the planet. For the past several months I’ve been on the lookout for photographers who have created “green” businesses. I’ve turned up a few, mostly from the San Francisco Bay Area, where businesses can earn a green certification from local governments. I want to find green photographers in other parts of the country, too.

When you’re shooting macro pictures, a background of a contrasting color can make your pictures look great. Here’s a background you already own that can reproduce literally thousands of colors: your computer monitor. The larger, the better. Use image-editing software to create a full screen in almost any color, and then put your close-up subject 2 or 3 inches in front of it. Just watch out for reflections. — Reader Tip From Geng Li, Brooklyn, NY