Summer is officially here! And nothing says summer like those magical hints of lens flare in your photos.
Traditionally lens flare was something photographers tried to avoid and since newer cameras are made to avoid sun flare, photographers often have to ‘trick’ the camera into capturing this lovely effect. But not to worry, our lovely ambassadors are sharing their best tips for capturing lens flare in your photos below.
#1 – Less is MORE.
Monika of Internationelle says,
When creating a sun flare or sun bursts on purpose for artistic effect, less is more. The subtleness adds to the photo and compliments the subject instead of being the main feature, unless the main feature is the sun, of course. These types of images are great for dusk or sunset landscape photos, as well as portraits.
The first step is to decide how much and how defined of a flare you’d want (a little soft flare or a sharper, longer flare). For a milder flare, you’ll want to have a wider aperture, and for a more defined one, a smaller aperture (around f/18-f/22).
#2 – Don’t lose focus.
Kim of Apple of Our Eye Photography says,
A sun flare can really add a dramatic effect to an image. Whether it’s pure luck, intentional (or unintentional), sun flares can happen any time you are shooting into direct sunlight. Depending on your shooting style, they can be magical. Some word of advice. It can be difficult to lock focus if you are using auto-focus. I will often use my hand or lens hood to block the light to lock focus on my subject and then take my hand away. I also try to avoid a sun flare that covers anyone’s face, leaves a trail over a face or takes away from an important subject of the image.
#3 – Lens hood off or on? You choose.
Dia of Dia Meraz Photography says,
“Most people suggest taking off your lens hood to achieve great lens flare, but honestly, I like to keep it on. Maybe I’m a rebel, but I feel like it gives me more control. It just goes to show that everyone has their own style, so don’t be afraid to embrace what works best for you!”
#4 – Play with light + embrace the imperfection.
Amy of My Letter Sized-Life says,
I’m more of hobbyist when it comes to photography so my approach to capturing sun flare is a bit more playful than it is scientific. I like to remove my lens hood and shoot directly into the sunlight. Sometimes I’ll try to line up my flares in a way that is pleasing to my composition and other times I let them fall where they may. While this shot is far from perfect there is no denying that it captures the magic of summer with its soft haze and peekaboo rainbow flare.
#5 – Use post-processing to help your flares pop.
Monika of Internationelle says,
The easiest way to get a true flare is to have something or someone obstructing the sun to hide it a bit, allowing the sun to peak out to avoid too much light. UV filters are also a good choice since they’re created specifically for shooting into the sun!
And if your flare doesn’t turn out exactly as you’d hope and you can’t reshoot, post processing is great for little tweaks to really make the flare pop and be distinctive.
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