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Hand, Digital Solarization

© John H. Siskin

Hand, Digital Solarization

Uploaded: April 27, 2007

Description

This is the way the print looked after I applied a V shaped curve to it.

Comments

October 30, 2007

WOW! It's amazing John! It looks like from a science fiction movie :) I'm sooooo impressed! #774470

John H. Siskin October 30, 2007

Hi Natalia,
Thanks! This was part of a group of shots I did with this woman. Obviously, she likes jewelry. I started with a normal black-and-white shot of the hand, and then I added a very small amount of yellow in the mid-tones and just a few points of red in the deep shadows. I do this to warm up a black and white shot. Then I applied a V shaped curve in Photoshop. This creates a kind of digital solarization. Both the left and right points of the curve are at the top of the graph and the mid point is a little more than half way to the bottom of the graph. This curve results in radically increasing and shifting the color, as well as making something that looks a little like a traditional darkroom solarization. #5004640

Laura E. Swan level-classic May 03, 2008

I recognize this interesting lady from the Pharmacy! Ha!

I have worked with CURVE in PS B-4. It can be a wild ride! I did a pretty awesome forest image with some curve play. I did achieve the solarized effect I believe.

It's in the MONO ME club. Come join if you'd like to see some nice B&W's there.

I am just a beginner on that site but am enjoying it. Hope you will come see my FOREST image and comment if you wish. -Laura #5880168

John H. Siskin May 04, 2008

Hi Laura,
I just checked out the Mono Me club, some really nice stuff. The tree Spirits shot you did is very interesting. It looks like work I used to do with Kodalith film.

This image was made using curves, but if you look at my gallery you can see a version done in the wet darkroom. Both are very interesting, but the wet darkroom version is on the wall of my office.

Although I like to make most of my images with the camera I have always done photo manipulation. The computer gives me a new range of manipulations to try.
Thanks, John Siskin
#5882588

M.Christine Duncan May 12, 2008

I'm a firm believer in asking the obvious, lol... what IS solarization in regards to photography?.. don't believe I was taught this one in school. This by the way, really showcases your versatility as a photographer, so dramatic and wild... very unlike the interior shots I've admired so much! #5915059

John H. Siskin May 12, 2008

Hi Christine,
Solarization has two meanings in photography. In this case I am referring to re-exposure of the sensitive material to light during development. So the way this is generally done is you turn on the lights while the paper is in the developer. My technique is a little more involved, but accomplishes the same thing. This is also called the Sabattier effect. The other kind of solarization occurs when you give so much exposure to an area that the finished image becomes black rather than white. This doesn’t come up much.
Thanks, John Siskin
#5915447

M.Christine Duncan May 14, 2008

Sabattier is a term I recognize from gr.12 photography.... okay, now I remember. Although I don't recall our results looking as cool as this!!! Thanks John :-) #5923783

John H. Siskin May 15, 2008

Hi Christine,
Here is a version of the same negative done in the process you remember. I like both versions.
Thanks, John Siskin
#5926014

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