Theme Thursday: Sunshine

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Lens flare can either be a problem or an artistic intent.  I found a great tutorial online about how sunflare is created in the camera.  That tutorial addresses sunflare as mostly a problem and how to avoid it.

I like using sunflare as an artistic addition to my photography.  I haven’t really done much with sunflare until lately.  I really love the look of how the light washes over the picture in the sun flare shots I have seen.  I started to figure out and read how to achieve this in photos, which at one time was not something photographers actually TRIED to achieve.  They didn’t want sunflare in their photos. 

I still do need to work on this technique some more, but the basics is a higher/closed aperture and a low shutterspeed.  Here are some shots I have taken and the settings on each one.

Aperture            f11
Shutterspeed     1/20
Focal Length      35mm

Aperture         f16
Shutterspeed  1/30
Focal Length   35 mm

I am by no means an expert, but these are just some settings to help you along.  If you want more defined rays, I think the main thing is to have a closed aperture and slower shutterspeed to allow enough time to get those spikes.  If you want less definition and more of a “light wash” look, then open up the aperture and have a higher shutterspeed, with the light coming in from the side.  If anyone has other tips for getting sunflare, please let me know!

Also??  Be smart about your eyeballs.  Don’t look directly at the sunshine while composing.  Mama always said not to stare at the sun!