In late 2015 twelve international artists and scholars from three countries and several different universities collaborated in a hands-on masterclass held at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and the Australian National University School of Art Photography and Media Arts Workshop, in association with The Alchemists: Rediscovering Photography in the Age of the Jpeg which was co-curated by Dr Martyn Jolly.

With Professor Geoffrey Batchen, a world expert on early photography, Senior Curator Shaune Lakin and Senior Conservator Andrea Wise, participants looked closely at extremely rare and valuable historical photographs from the NGA and the personal collection of Professor Batchen. They followed up with four days in the darkroom collaboratively producing collodion tinypes as well salted paper prints and kallitypes from digital negatives.

Participants included Professor Geoff Batchen, University of Wellington; Senior Curator Shaune Lakin, National Gallery of Australia; Senior Conservator Andrea Wise, National Gallery of Australia; Anne O’Hehir, National Gallery of Australia, Professor Helen Ennis; National Gallery of Australia; Dr Martyn Jolly, ANU; Dr Rowan Conroy, ANU; Associate Professor Marion Drew, Griffith University; Apor Porananond, Chiang Mai University, Thailand; Sawit Prasertphan, Chiang Mai University, Thailand; Peter Shaw, National Archives of Australia; Dr Redmond Bridgman, University of Wollongong; Jane Brown, independent artist, Melbourne; Catherine Rogers, independent artist; Mark Mohell, National Portrait Gallery; Craig Tuffin, independent artist; CJ Taylor, University of South Australia, ANU; Lisa Clunie, Northtec Polytechnic, NZ; Renata Buziak, Griffith University; Matt Higgins, ANU; Kon Kudo, ANU; Dr Rowan Conroy, ANU; Jason O’Brien, ANU.