Sun Flare -I want it!

[Punkydoodles]

Anyone have tips or tricks on how to achieve this? I love the way it looks but can never get the effect!

TIA!
Sarah

[Roy]

Are you wanting it in camera or via post processing?

I get it a good deal with a wide angle lens and just catching the brightness on the edge of the lens seems to produce some interesting sun flare. Or you can cheat and add in in with your pp software.

[Punkydoodles]

Roy, I'd prefer to get it in-camera first, but knowing how in PP isn't a bad idea.... so, how do I add in PP? (I use cs2)

[Daniel Bates]

There's a Lens Flare filter in PS, under the "Render" tab... I wouldn't suggest using it, though; it looks very cheesy.

[ShaneKislack]

Point camera at sun. Click.

[gmarblestone]

way i was taught was to turn your fstop up to 22 and of course make sure the sun is entering your lens...
Here is one i did recently in paris...



G

[Supermanny]

This is all I know about flare. I hope it helps you.

Composition
Well obviously, shoot in the general direction of the sun so that the rays somehow hit your lens. So if you don't want the sun in the picture, don't use a hood. You can generally see it before you take the picture.

Optics
Also the more complicated the glass in your lens, the more flare (more reflections inside the lens) So adding a UV filter will help you get more flare. And using a simpler lens (prime) will get less flare (theoretically)

Aperture
And, as Grant mentioned, the fstop will change the appearance of the sun or of any bright light-source. The smaller the aperture, the more "spokes" you will see. It's a matter of preference. Is like if you stare at bright light and squint your eyes, it will look more star-like.

[venchka]

Flare:

Buy a Leitz 50mm Dual Range Summicron lens. Point the lens in the general direction of the sun. sunlight filtering through trees seems to work "best" (tranlasted: Worst!). Ruin half a roll of Kodachrome. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Buy Konica rangefinder lenses. Aim them anywhere. Bright sun. Bright lights. Wide open. Stopped down. No flare. Even the Konica lens on the camera my dad bought in 1950 or 1951 won't flare. GRINNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!

Most modern zoom lenses are somewhere between the best and the worst as far as flare is concerned. Most modern lenses have fewer iris blades and may not look the same as older lenses with lots of blades.

Samples. Not mine. Borrowed from the Rangefinder Forum:

No flare:



This is not flare. This is the iris making a pattern of the sun:



THIS is flare. Veiling flare I think it's called. Not good to my eye. This is what my Summicron mentioned above will do.

[gmarblestone]

Oops forgot image

Originally Posted by gmarblestone

way i was taught was to turn your fstop up to 22 and of course make sure the sun is entering your lens...
Here is one i did recently in paris...



G

[venchka]

Another sample. Some good & some bad flare.

[venchka]

Taken with a lens like johnastovall's owns. The Canon 50/0.95 wide open.