Solarization of photography is a classical expression technique that utilizes the inversion effect of photographs by using silver halides (e.g.: AgCl) on photograph mediums such as negative film and photographic paper. This technique was reported by H. de la Blanchère in 1859 1) but is generally known by its use in the portrait work by Man Ray, who was active in the 20th century.
Exposure to film or photographic paper is usually done with a magnifier in a camera or darkroom (via primary exposure). After exposure, the film and photographic paper can be generally viewed by developing/stopping/fixing the film in a dark room.
Exposure to film or photographic paper is usually done with a magnifier in a camera or darkroom (via primary exposure). After exposure, the film and photographic paper can be generally viewed by developing/stopping/fixing the film in a dark room.
On the other hand, solarization intentionally gives light to the film or photographic paper during the development process after the primary exposure (secondary exposure). When secondary exposure is performed during development, which is originally performed in a dark room, a reaction occurs in which the color of the image is partially reversed from white to black (the Sabatier effect). Furthermore, when the black part that receives a large amount of light and the white part that, in turn, has received a small amount of light in the primary exposure are adjacent to one another, a clear line appears at the boundary between the white and black coloration, depending on the reaction rate and density of the silver product. Solarization is an effect that makes you feel the mystery of an image produced by primary exposure and the inverted image of the secondary exposure, reactions which are able to coexist.
For the digital solarization used in this work, a negative was created via modern image processing mimicking the solarization of the classical technique, and was transferred on to a gelatin silver print in a dark room. This is a new attempt to express classical techniques with modern technology.
1) Wikipedia, “Sabattier effect”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabattier_effect, 2021/3/17
D-Future / Digital solarization
Digital work for Albumen with Solarization print series I
Digital negative is converted to positive and digitally output.
Digital negative is converted to positive and digitally output.
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Landscape of Silk road in the various countries of Eurasian
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Photograph of Silk-road-journey by HashiLaboratory | Japanese photographer and researcher
