Solarisation

[Rob MacKillop]

What, technically, goes on in solarisation? In Nik Colour Efex, the solarisation tab turned this...

Trio 1a by RobMacKillop, on Flickr​

...into this

Trio 1solar by RobMacKillop, on Flickr​

I like the effect, but would like to know what it is doing, what it is emulating?

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Good question Rob, a learning curve for me this is......

 

[adrian jordin]

Briefly, solarisation is the effect caused when a negative or print is exposed to a bright light during development. It causes the tones to reverse so dark tones become light and vice versa.

It was discovered, accidentally and several times over the years, in the early days of photography (probably when some idiot complained they couldn't sse what they were doing in the darkroom and turned the light on.... )

Eventually people started doing it deliberately and tried to control the effect.
In digital terms a 'curve' (as in photoshop curve adjustment) is applied which emulates the effect. You can do something similar by adding a curve adjustment layer in PS and distorting it wildly. Occasionally you get an effect worth keeping.

I'm sure somebody else will fill in/correct the technical details....

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Adrian. That makes sense, and explains the photos above.

 

[Brian Moore]

I have one or two polaroid images that were affected by solarization. These were Fuji film FP3000b black and white "peel-apart" type films. I'll have to see if I can find one and post it. However, I'd have nothing to add as to WHY it happened.

 

[Hamish Gill]

That one of your girl Brian ...
i liked that shot it really worked out well!

 

[Brian Moore]

That one of your girl Brian ...
i liked that shot it really worked out well!

Forgot I'd posted that one, Hamish.


Meg by brian-moore, on Flickr

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Wow, that is superb!. You don't get that quality with digital processing. Wonderful!

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks, Rob. That is the "negative" side of the peel-apart film. (Often colloquially called the "goop" side.) Sometimes its truly negative, other times it shows up positive and in this case with solarization.

Here's another Polaroid (Fuji pack film) example. It's just a picture (goop side) of the wall/fence that separates my house from my neighbor's. It's not as pretty as Meg, I'm sure you'll agree, but I offer it just as another example of solarization. In this case, part of the image was rendered positive on the goop side, and part negative.

You only get recoverable goop sides from the FP3000b black and white film. The FP100b, the other black and white by Fuji, did not give you a recoverable goop at all. (That particular film is no longer made anyway.) The color pack film from Fuji--FP100c--does not give you a goop side image either. However, you can remove the black inky/sooty stuff from the throw-away side with a mild bleach solution and voila! you have a negative.