The Imaging Sustainability team will showcase their research into eco-friendly alternatives to analogue photography at the Eco-Photo Booth during the University of Sydney's Community Festival on 8 November 2025.

Established through this year’s iteration of the Research Impact Accelerator at the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC), the project represents a strong interdisciplinary collaboration between the Sydney College of the Arts, the School of Chemistry, and social enterprise partner The Darkroom Social. Together, they examine the environmental impact of image-making through chemistry, visual arts, and community engagement, advancing global understanding and implementation of sustainable, lower-toxicity photographic practices.

Join us in the Interactive Alley during the Community Festival on 8 November to explore the chemistry behind photography, learn sustainable techniques, and become part of a living gallery.

At the Eco-Photo Booth, visitors can actively engage with research that explores the broader ecological challenges of image-making, from heavy metal extraction and energy-intensive editing and sharing practices for digital cameras, to harmful heavy metals found in analogue photography.

Stepping into an open-air darkroom located in the iconic University of Sydney Quadrangle, attendees will have their portraits taken using a large-format 4x5 view camera and watch as their images are developed in an eco-friendly solution made from ornamental pomegranate and camellia trimmings and seasonal waste sourced from the University campus grounds.

These striking paper negatives, echoing the earliest days of photography, will form a temporary outdoor exhibition before participants take them home as keepsakes.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday 8 November 2025
• Time: 2–5:30 PM
• Location: Quadrangle, University of Sydney Camperdown Campus.

Participants are also encouraged to learn more about eco-friendly alternatives to analogue photography by taking one of the research project’s custom-designed zines, which summarises the team’s research through the Research Impact Accelerator, sharing insights into the chemistry, history, and sustainability of photography, and bridging research and community engagement.

Imaging Sustainability is an interdisciplinary research project that investigates the environmental impact of image-making, both analogue and digital, through the lens of chemistry, visual arts, and community engagement.

Comprised of Dr Alexander Yuen (School of Chemistry), Dr Yvette Hamilton (Sydney College of the Arts), and Isobel Markus-Dunsworth and Remi Siciliano (Co-Founders of The Darkroom Social), the Imaging Sustainability team aims to transform image-making into an environmentally responsible practice by reducing chemical toxicity and promoting sustainable alternatives. 

Digital and analogue photography have significant environmental consequences. While digital photography is often perceived as immaterial, it relies on extractive industries, energy-intensive data centres, and water-dependent cooling systems. Analogue photography, on the other hand, involves chemical processes that can contaminate waterways and ecosystems.

In response, a growing international community of photographers and artists has embraced plant-based 'eco-developers' as a sustainable alternative to traditional analogue photography, yet the Imaging Sustainability team’s preliminary research reveals the complexity of achieving truly eco-friendly photographic practices. 

As part of their involvement in the Research Impact Accelerator with SSSHARC, the project team has been examining the ecological footprint of these plant-based developers used in analogue photography. The preliminary findings suggest that, despite their reputation as sustainable alternatives, these developers may produce significant silver nanoparticle waste, posing risks to water systems and soil health.

By working towards developing scientifically validated waste protocols and by promoting informed, ethical image-making across the international photography community, this project challenges current practices and addresses sustainable image-making alternatives through chemistry, visual arts, and community engagement.

Hero photo: Conducting the chemical testing of the eco-developer. Credit: Remi Siciliano (Studio Stratum).