{"id":70527,"date":"2021-05-13T15:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T19:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=70527"},"modified":"2022-02-23T17:53:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T22:53:27","slug":"lens-flare-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/lens-flare-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Lens Flare Tips for Creative Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like a special ingredient that makes all the difference in your favorite dish, lens flare<\/strong> can add a dash of flavor to your photos and take them from so-so to incredible. Lens flare is the term used to describe non-image forming light that “leaks” in through your lens, reflects off of various lens elements, and then hits your sensor to create a flare in your photograph. Many photographers use a lens hood<\/a> and filters to try and minimize lens flare, but the effect can actually be used to enhance our photos. With basic tools and a bit of creative inspiration, we can capture lens flare using the sun or with artificial means and instantly enhance our imagery. Below, we’re going to share seven lens flare tips for creative photos that you can use today!<\/p>\n

Lens Flare Tips for Creative Photos<\/h2>\n
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  1. Use the Sun for Natural Lens Flare<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Watch Your Angles<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Adjust Your Aperture<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Create a Ring of Fire<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Re-Create the Sun with Flash<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Capture a Lens Flare at Night<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Finalize the Lens Flare in Post<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. Use the Sun for Natural Lens Flare<\/h2>\n
    \"Couple
    Photo courtesy of SLR Lounge<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Let’s start with a good ol’ fashioned, natural light source to kick off our list of lens flare tips for creative photos. The sun makes for an obvious choice for creating lens flare in-camera. So long as you schedule your shoot accordingly and the weather conditions cooperate, you can use the sun to generate this creative effect. I recommend using a specialized app like Sun Surveyor<\/a> to schedule your shoot around golden hour and ensure your best chances of shooting in ideal conditions for capturing lens flare. Of course, if the sun doesn’t come out, you can use tip #5 below to re-create your own lens flare.<\/p>\n

    Lens Flare Tips for Focusing<\/h3>\n

    Assuming the sun does come out, you’re going to shoot almost directly into it. You will typically want to backlight your subjects and keep the sun above and behind them. Because such a bright light source is aimed directly at your lens, you may need to try a couple different techniques to lock in tack sharp focus on your subjects. If your autofocus is not cooperating, switch to live view (if you have it) and use manual focus and try to lock in focus that way. In the event this doesn\u2019t work for you, consider focusing elsewhere on the same plane, locking focus, and recomposing your shot. One of these two methods should get you where you need to be. Results will vary, of course, depending on the camera and lens you\u2019re using.<\/p>\n

    2. Watch Your Angles<\/h2>\n
    \"Lens
    Too much lens flare on the left, and just enough lens flare on the right. Photos courtesy of SLR Lounge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    It’s easy to get carried away and bathe your subjects in a blooming lens flare, but if you’re not careful, your photo may look too bright or washed out. It’s important to partially block the light entering the lens, enough to maintain contrast and avoid completely washing out the details. Try to avoid turning the flare into a distraction, which can happen, for example, when you place it over your subject\u2019s faces. Experiment with different angles until you get just enough of this dramatic effect without causing overexposure in other areas of your image. I also recommend taking several shots to ensure you get some quality keepers in the set.<\/p>\n

    3. Adjust Your Aperture<\/h2>\n
    \"Comparison
    Aperture on the left: f\/14 | Aperture on the right: f\/2.8. Photos courtesy of SLR Lounge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Not all lens flares look the same. If you adjust your aperture, you can change the size and shape of the lens flare you’re capturing. I mentioned a \u201cblooming lens flare\u201d in the tip above. This happens when you shoot with wider apertures. You can capture beautiful, cinematic lens flare portraits this way, but you can achieve different looks just by switching up your aperture settings. A narrower aperture, for instance, will result in more of a starburst effect with rays shooting out from the center of the light source.<\/p>\n

    4. Create a Ring of Fire<\/h2>\n
    \"lens
    Photo courtesy of Lin & Jirsa Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The Ring of Fire isn’t just a great Johnny Cash song. It’s also a term used for photos that use a special tool to create a dramatic lens flare. What is the tool? More often than not, photographers use something like a \u00be\u201d to 1″ tube with a 1″ diameter, which you can pick up at your local hardware store.<\/p>\n

    Ring of Fire Lens Flare Tip<\/h3>\n

    To achieve this look, place the copper (or metal) tube in front of your lens, between your lens and the light source, and move your camera around until you get the perfect flare. If your camera has a live view<\/strong> feature, use it, especially when trying this trick.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s a video I made on how to use a DIY flare ring for Adorama\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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    Building The Shot : Ring Flare & Lens Special FX | Mastering Your Craft<\/div><\/div>
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