Solarization.
An interesting effect in chemical photography, caused by one of two different methods.
The first involves overexposing the negative tremendously. This results in the light and dark areas reversing.
The second, more common, and visually different effect, involves taking a partially developed paper print and fogging it with white light before developing is complete, yielding an interesting effect in which some areas are positive and others are negative. Often a line, the Mackie line, traces around the reversed areas.
Many people have argued that this second method should more accurately be called pseudo-solarization or the Sabattier effect. Which is odd, as the French doctor after whom the effect is named apparently spelt his name “Sabatier.” Paris-based American photographer Man Ray is well known for his work with film-based Sabattier solarization.
Entry last updated 2002-04-03. Term 1137 of 1487.
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