What Is Lens Flare Photography: Tips to Get Started

Lens flare is a photographic phenomenon that happens when a bright beam of light hits your camera’s lens and is reflected off the elements inside the lens. Discover how to create (or avoid) a light flare effect with your camera using these tips.

In this post, we’ll cover:


What Is Lens Flare?

Lens flare is a photographic phenomenon that happens when a bright beam of light hits your camera’s lens and is reflected off the elements inside the lens. The scattered light can appear as starbursts, halos, colorful rings, or an all over haze. The effect can be created in-camera or added in post-production. 

Although lens flare photography can certainly be caused by a defective lens, for many photographers including it is an intentional and stylistic choice. It can add a soft dream-like quality to photos taken outside or in the studio.

Lens flare photography is a popular stylistic choice for portrait photographers, wedding photographers, landscape photographers, and cinematographers.

Types of Lens Flare

Ghosting

Ghosting is when small round spots of color or circular rings appear in a photo. You will be able to see these visible spots when you look through the camera’s viewfinder, if you look closely. 

Starburst

Starbursts happen when your lens is set at a higher aperture and are shooting at any bright point of light. The higher aperture setting will transform the light source into a star shape. A starburst effect can be enhanced by using a starburst filter on your lens. 

Veiling

Veiling refers to a hazy effect that happens when the light source is just outside of the frame. It will create a low-contrast image that can have a dream-like quality to it. 

Sensor Flare

Sensor flare is caused when light reflects off the sensor onto the lens and then back onto the sensor. It generally creates a strong starburst and repeating circular red or green dots that appear in a straight line.

Sensor flare is most likely to occur if you are shooting directly into a light source with a small aperture. 

Anamorphic

Anamorphic lens flare is specific to anamorphic lenses, which are commonly used by cinematographers looking to capture a wide field of view without any distortion.

These square shaped lenses have horizontal elements which create the distinctive horizontal flares. 


How to Create the Lens Flare Effect

The most important element for creating the effect is having a bright light source available and shooting directly into it.

Here are some other factors to consider:

In Camera

Lens choice

Modern lenses have a number of anti-reflective coatings on the front element to reduce flare, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to achieve it. Remove the lens hood if the lens has one to amp up the light flare effect. 

Zoom lenses will create more dramatic flare than a prime lens because they have so many more internal elements that the light can bounce off of. An older lens that lacks reflective coatings will increase the intensity of the flare.  

Aperture

The aperture that your lens is set to will have the biggest effect on any optical flare effects. Shooting at smaller apertures will create a more defined pinpointed flare—like starbursts—however, while shooting wide open, the light source will be softer and more likely to create a haze effect.   

Lens Flare Filters

For really dramatic flare, consider using a filter. Filters screw onto the front of your lens and allow you to control exactly how the light will scatter. Star filters and streak filters are a great place to start. 

In Nature

Time of Day

If you are shooting outside, aim for a golden hour shoot around sunrise or sunset, when the sun is lowest in the sky. This will give you the most dramatic flare effects.

If you are shooting in a studio setting, you will simply need to position your light source so that you can shoot directly into it. 

In Post-Production

Photo editing programs, like Adobe Photoshop, let you add the effect to your picture once you are editing. The effect can be added as a filter layer and blended over your image to create an eye-pleasing optical flare.  

Smartphone photo editing apps are another option for adding the effect, although they generally give you less control over where in the frame the flare appears or its intensity. 



How to Avoid Lens Flare

While these light flares can add a dreamy, cinematic quality to your images, it isn’t ideal for every shoot. Although it can be a popular stylistic tool for certain types of photographers, in some situations it can make photos look sloppy—especially if it seems unintentional.

Here are some tips for avoiding this: 

Shoot with Your Back to the Light

Since flare occurs when you are shooting directly into the light, the easiest way to eliminate this is to keep the light source behind you. 

Use a Lens Hood

This handy accessory comes with most zoom lenses and is designed specifically to cut down on optical flares by acting as a little visor for your lens. 

Use Your Hand

In a pinch, your hand can act as a lens hood to block out the rays of light that are hitting the lens. Just make sure your hand isn’t visible in the frame. 

Remove Your Lens Filter

A filter can make it more likely that a lens will flare. Remove it and see if that helps. 

Clean Your Lens

A dusty lens also makes optical flare more likely. Carrying a Lenspen or a cleaning cloth with you will help you keep your camera lenses clean while you are out shooting pictures. 

Use a Wider Aperture

Lens flare is more pronounced when shooting at higher apertures. Opening your aperture to a wider setting will reduce the effect. 

Remove It in Post-Production

Certain types of flare may be easy to remove once you are editing with a healing brush or a clone stamp tool. Certain AI powered content aware tools may also be useful in removing unwanted flares in post-production. 


License this cover image via Arman Zhenikeyev.


This post was originally published onOctober 31, 2024

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