Solarise A Photo Cat Style

Have you ever wanted to try something a little bit different with your digital images? Something a bit adventurous that makes them look more like a work of abstract art? In this post, I dive into the fascinating world of solarisation (aka solarization to my US friends) for some wild and wonderful results.

Let me take you into the twilight zone of photo editing *cue music … *.

Solarisation sounds complicated doesn’t it? But it isn’t. Like every photo editing skill, a little practice to gain confidence goes a long way towards helping you understand the idea behind the development of an edit. First, let me show you where the whole solarization thing began.

A Glimpse into Photographic History

If you look back into photography and its history, photographer Lee Miller was one of the first people to adopt the technique alongside artist Man Ray in Paris. The process is different to the edits we do on a computer in 2025 because we don’t use a darkroom we use digital techniques instead.

• Lee Miller Archives (Instagram link showing artistic portrait)

How does this scary sounding stuff work?

The edit is a bit like looking at an old film negative but sharper and clearer. Bits of your photo that were dark become light and vice-versa. The results are often unique, like the first sample of Toulouse scratching a tree although the final look will depend a lot on the subject of your photograph. Check out the other photos treated here to see what I mean.

Film Definition: Solarisation is the process of re-exposing photographic paper during the development process. The result is an eerie silver image which contains light lines between the shadows and the highlighted areas. Areas that have been exposed the least are affected the most during the re-exposure of the print. The darker areas or shadows on the prints show little change during the solarization process.

Proper Proof

For film photographers the solarisation process meant exposing their film to light briefly in the darkroom. This was at a time when they should keep the room really dark to ensure a good print.

Thankfully what they did with film, we can do much more easily on computers and tablets with Affinity Photo or Photoshop.

NOTE: Eyes and other highlighted areas can look unreal. Paint in a little bit of dark with your brush tool.

Why Solarise A Cat Photo?

OK I know you are asking. Why should I solarise one of my cat photos?

If you love to push boundaries once in a while, this is a fun technique to try. Check the portrait of black cat Munro (below). I have darkened his eyes and that makes a difference.

• It’s Fun to Experiment.
• Create Drama You boost the contrast and other sliders in your Curves panel to create a real sense of drama in your image. I have added instructions below.
• Explore Artistic Expression Taking an image into a new area lets you see it with different eyes. Sometimes your idea work, sometimes the images are not quite as successful as you hoped.

Getting Started with Solarisation (Instructions)

I have gathered some how-to instructions for Affinity Photo and Photoshop. You may also be able to create the effect in GIMP or a smartphone app. If you do, let me know and I will add the details here.

Not every cat photo will make a successful solarised portrait, I admit it took me a while to create one a liked, but it is a fascinating technique to explore. The image below of Mo is not one of my better explorations because there is so much white. But, it shows you what the screen looks like with the curves adjustment open. This tool looks identical in every photo editing app. Experiment with textures and more busy images.

Solarise with Affinity Photo

This method gives you more control over the solarization effect. Once you have a try (or experiment with your own software) you will find it addictive.

1. Open your image in Affinity Photo.
2. Go to the Layers panel (usually on the right).
3. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click on the Adjustments icon (looks like a half-filled circle).
4. Convert your image to black and white and adjust if you feel anything doesn’t look OK to yo.
5. Choose Curves. This will create a new Curves Adjustment Layer above your image.
6. In the Curves panel (which should now be open, typically on the right), you’ll see a diagonal line.
7. Create a V shape on the curve:
   • To create a classic solarization effect :
     • Click on the curve to add points.
     • Drag the bottom-left point slightly up and to the left.
     • Drag the top-right point slightly down and to the right.
     • Add a middle point and drag this up or down to create the characteristic “V” shape.
     • Tweak and tinker and see what works.

Solarise with Photoshop

Recreating the solarisation effect in Photoshop is straightforward with no complex techniques according to the instructions I have here. If they work for you let me know as I don’t use Photoshop so am relying on the interwebs.

1. Open Your Image Start by opening the image you want to solarise in Adobe Photoshop.
2. Duplicate Your Layer (Recommended): It’s always a good practice to work non-destructively. Duplicate your background layer (Ctrl+J on Windows, Cmd+J on Mac) so you can easily revert if you are not happy or you mess up.
3. Create the Solarisation Curve In the Curves properties panel, you’ll see a diagonal line. This line represents the tonal range of your image. To create the solarisation effect, you’ll need to manipulate this line to form a “V” or inverted “V” shape.
4. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer: Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves.

This is a fantastical way to explore the tools in your own computer editing software. You can create something that will give you a unique portrait, or even a background for art works or digital scrapbooking. How about a layered portrait like Sienna’s? You are using the Curves tool and turning it all upside down!

Are you up for a solarisation challenge?