This special issue draws on contributions made to the Light | Sensitive | Material conference held at University of West London on 1–2 November 2019. The conference was convened by Michelle Henning and Junko Theresa Mikuriya and aimed to consider “photography as simultaneously material and immaterial, addressing not only the tangible properties of photographic objects, but also the ecosystems in which they circulate.”
The title Light Sensitive Material is intended to evoke both ephemeral and substantial qualities of photography. The themes discussed in the conference are represented by the papers specially written by contributors for this volume. The range of topics introduced in the text that follows are by Michelle Henning and Junko Theresa Mikuriya. We would like to thank them and all the contributors for their work towards this special issue of photographies.