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Lens Flare

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All About Lens Flare

I talk about lens flare in Lesson 6 of the Beginner level online class and how important it is to have a lens hood to prevent the effects of the flare.  I avoid lens flare like the plague, so I never had any images to show what it looks like until now.  I purposely shot into the sun without a lens hood to demonstrate the effects.
First of all, what is lens flare?
According to Cambridge in Color, ” Lens flare is created when non-image forming light enters the lens and subsequently hits the camera’s film or digital sensor. This often appears as a characteristic polygonal shape, with sides that depend on the shape of the lens diaphragm. It can lower the overall contrast of a photograph significantly and is often an undesired artifact, however, some types of flare may actually enhance the artistic meaning of a photo. Understanding lens flare can help you use it – or avoid it – in a way that best suits how you wish to portray the final image.
How to avoid lens flare
  • Always use a lens hood
  • Remove the lens filter
  • Block the sunlight with a tree or solid object.

For more information on lens flare I found a really good article. Click here to read it.  Source – Cambridge in Color

Below are some of the pictures that I took that show lens flare and how I corrected in with a lens hood.  I took the photos at 6:45 PM the other night, about 1 1/2 hours before sunset, so the sun was low on the horizon. I focused on the bridge as the subject and shot in vertical format and included the sun in my viewfinder as it filtered through the trees.

Below is a picture I took without a lens hood.

lens flare Lens Flare

Below is the picture I took with a lens hood. It is much better.

lens hood bridge Lens Flare

And finally, below is a picture I took of the bridge with the tree blocking the sun.  This has the effects of back light and is the clearest of the three. I also used a lens hood for this photo.

bridge shaded by tree Lens Flare

Below are some common lens hoods.  You will need to check the focal length of your lens and your lens diameter size before ordering one.

lensHoods Lens Flare

For more information on DSLR photography check out the online course.

To view my portrait photography site visit Lightscapes Portrait Studio.

To view my fine art photography site visit Mary Buck Photography