Oct 3, 2012, 22:54
We try to avoid flare at all costs, trying not to shoot in to a light source, and using a lens hood, may be a natural shady pace and so on. But sometimes shooting in to the sun, to get flare can be pretty awesome too. Remember there are no specific rules in photography, so we can experiment on our own.
Important point: Do not shoot directly into the sun looking through your view finder. Doing so may damage your eyes.
Shooting in to the sun at golden hours can create awesome images. And a special feature in these types of shots is the low contrast nature. Here we are using that to create the mood of the photograph.
Here are the important tips for shooting these low contrast images.
1. To achieve this look you must shoot in manual mode. The exposure metering can be tricky due to the abundance of light in these kinds of situations, so try getting a spot meter reading on the subject and take a test shot. Then make slight adjustments on your own, without the aid of the light meter, until you achieve the perfect exposure. Look at your histogram and determine whether you should go under or over. If you shoot in an automatic mode you will get silhouettes, and it’s not what we are trying to achieve here.
2. Focusing can be challenging too. Use the centre focus area to focus on your subject. While you are focusing cover the top of your lens with your hand to block sunlight to avoid flare until you lock the focus. Remove your hand after you’ve locked the focus on your subject.
3. Use difference lenses to achieve different types of flare. Sometimes very high end lenses produce no flare at all!
4. Try different angles and different viewpoints. Practice a lot.
Important point: Do not shoot directly into the sun looking through your view finder. Doing so may damage your eyes.
Shooting in to the sun at golden hours can create awesome images. And a special feature in these types of shots is the low contrast nature. Here we are using that to create the mood of the photograph.
Here are the important tips for shooting these low contrast images.
1. To achieve this look you must shoot in manual mode. The exposure metering can be tricky due to the abundance of light in these kinds of situations, so try getting a spot meter reading on the subject and take a test shot. Then make slight adjustments on your own, without the aid of the light meter, until you achieve the perfect exposure. Look at your histogram and determine whether you should go under or over. If you shoot in an automatic mode you will get silhouettes, and it’s not what we are trying to achieve here.
2. Focusing can be challenging too. Use the centre focus area to focus on your subject. While you are focusing cover the top of your lens with your hand to block sunlight to avoid flare until you lock the focus. Remove your hand after you’ve locked the focus on your subject.
3. Use difference lenses to achieve different types of flare. Sometimes very high end lenses produce no flare at all!
4. Try different angles and different viewpoints. Practice a lot.