Many photographers try hard to avoid lens flare — those stray bright spots resulting from light reflection. But when you’re looking for a creative technique to brighten up your photos, lens flare may be just what you’re after. Consider placing your subject between the sun and your camera to achieve interesting and unusual effects.
Why use lens flare?
Many top photographers are using lens flare, also called sun flare, to highlight warmth or brightness in shots. Portrait photographers commonly use post-processing software to add lens flare to their images.
Lens flare occurs when stray light bounces around the lens and the camera’s sensor picks it up. It typically includes round or curved light areas along with stray light flashes and lines of light.
How to achieve it
To achieve good-looking lens flare, you’ll need a light source coming straight across your photo. Shooting either in early morning or late in the day, when the sun is lower, with flare coming across the side of a frame works well.
Remove the lens hood from your camera to allow more light to enter the lens. You can experiment with completely taking filters off the camera, or try combining them for an interesting effect. To capture flare successfully, make sure the sun or other light source is either in your frame or close to the edge of it. Experiment with various focal lengths and try composing in different ways to give you the best placement of flare in your image.
If you’re shooting directly into the sun, use extreme caution to avoid damage to your sensor or your eyes. Wear sunglasses, and don’t take much time composing your shot. Nice flare effects usually can be achieved with just a little sun streaming in from the edge of your shot, which minimizes any risk to your eyes or camera.
Using lens flare in your travel photography
Many of the best lens flare photos are achieved in travel destinations, especially in places where sunlight can fall on the front element of the lens. Snowy environments, beaches and deserts often are backdrops for beautiful photos incorporating creative use of lens flare. Shooting across water as the sun rises or sets can create interesting effects as the flare combines with reflections.
Instead of shrinking from lens flare and taking measures to avoid it, break the rules! Consider using this easily achievable technique to create beautiful effects in your travel photography.
Photography:
Sun Flare Couple: copyright – maridav
Lens Flare Trees: copyright -Roman Rvachov
Woman on Path: copyright – Andrii IURLOV
Water Sun Flare: copyright – waldru
Girl Sun Flare– copyright – Warren Goldswain