Solarization

(graphic arts) Reversal of a photographic image due to great overexposure. Sabattier effect
(physics) Loss of transparency or coloration of glass exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation.

Solarization, the tone reversal of an image on printout paper or negative materials caused by gross overexposure. The figure normally quoted is about 1, 000 times the amount of light required to give a normal negative image following development. Studies of the phenomenon began in the 19th century, notably by the French astronomer P. J. C. Janssen (1824-1907) and by Sir William Abney, but the chemistry remains imperfectly understood today. Many photographers use the term incorrectly. The so-called ‘solarized’ images of artists such as Man Ray are produced by a different chemical mechanism known as the Sabatier effect.

— John P. Ward

Bibliography

• Life Library of Photography: The Print (1972)

A nontoxic method of killing weeds and insect pests by covering the ground with layers of clear plastic and allowing the sun to create enough heat to destroy all of the living organisms—good and bad—in the soil.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: exposure to the rays of the sun
  Synonym: solarisation

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)