Sabattier Effect on Polaroid 55

[Fintan]

I want to try solarizing some Polaroid 55. I dont have a lot of pola to play with so I'd appreciate any help.

Basically I'd like to know...

Do you expose normally or over/under expose?
Do you peel apart early, if so how early?
How much power do you use on your flash and how close do you hold the flash to the neg?

Any experiences appreciated

Thanks

Fintan

[HerrBremerhaven]

I just happened to find my old notes on this, so hopefully this makes some sense. This is for (discontinued) Polaroid 665 P/N film:

1. Prematurely peel apart film (8 to 10 seconds)
2. Fire flashgun at negative
3. Results in partial tone reversal

Hints:
- Rate Negative at full positive ISO (100)
- 15 to 20 seconds often ideal time to peel apart
- Quickly clear negative to remove gel
- Use 8 to 10 seconds peel apart time when warm

Anyway, maybe that makes some sense. I have not done many of these, and it has been a few years. The peel apart, then flashing times, are what vary the affect. I have also heard that leaving the gel on longer can result in a distressed or damaged looking image, though some people want that type of look. Best of luck.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Alex Hawley]

We had a couple good discussion on this last year. Here's the threads:
This one
and this one

I finally figured out that it worked best rating the film at 50 asa, peeling apart after about 15-20 seconds, then flashing with the strobe. Base on differences in individual strobe flashes, you should probably determine the power level and distance on your own.