Stray Light and Lens Flares in Photography |  |
- Stray Light and Lens Flares in Photography
- Interview with Photographer who Captured Boston Marathon Bombing Images
- Rare Parrot Attempts to Mate with Photographer
| Stray Light and Lens Flares in Photography Posted: 24 Apr 2013 04:22 PM PDT Quick Reminder: Only a few days left! in the deal on: Trick Photography Guide A camera lens is made up of several elements, pieces of special glass ground to a specific curve according to computer calculations. Each element directs light in a particular way and corrects aberrations caused by other lens elements. A telephoto lens may have from 10 elements up to double that number.  Photo captured by Leonidas (Click Image to See More From Leonidas) Usually, elements are joined together with optically clear cement in groups. Rare earth components and minerals are used to make each element perform its task efficiently, and these elements are coated with high quality anti-reflective coatings. It’s a highly complex and expensive process, yet in spite of all the research the perfect lens has to date not been made. What Causes a Lens Flare?If a very bright light from outside the subject hits the glass, the reflections can cause a range of major image effects. These include washed out color, loss of contrast, bright shapes in the image, often polygonal, the shape of the diaphragm. It’s not unusual to see bright streaks as well. The name for these occurrences is lens flare, which can occupy a large portion of the image area. Because flare is much brighter than the subject it tends to pull the viewer’s eye toward it, sometimes losing the impact of the picture. Is the sun the only cause of flare?It’s the most common one, but any source of bright light will do it. So you could get a street light, car headlight, even the full moon in a night shot. The light source does not have to be in the frame, but any stray light just outside it can cause an obvious effect. Efficient modern anti-reflective coatings are great, but they will not stop all flare. What if I want to Avoid Lens Flares?Make sure the lens is shielded from bright light outside the picture area striking the front element. Ways to do this include using the black hood that came with your lens. This fits over the front and provides a protective barrier. No hood? Use your hand (make sure it’s not in the picture). A piece of card (often called a ‘flag’ in this application) or some object between the lens and the sun, a tree, post or other object to avoid a direct hit on the lens usually works.  “light” captured by Raluca Mateescu (Click Image to See More From Raluca Mateescu) Any precautions in using a lens hood?Mainly, be careful they don’t appear in the picture. Zoom lenses give more problems than fixed focal length lenses, because as the angle of view widens, the chance of getting the edge of the hood in the picture is greater. Therefore the supplied lens hood with a zoom lens is designed for the widest angle of view. As you switch to a longer focal length the use of an extended hood is possible. Of the round and petal shapes, petal shapes are better because the hood is designed to match the oblong shape of the sensor. When is flare acceptable?Artistic effects such as creating drama, a feeling of realism, in a silhouette, are all possible subjects where flare could help. Bright rays shining through trees, the early morning feeling, is an example of the so called veiling flare. This washes out color and contrast too, but adds to the impression. A word of warning. Use manual focus and experiment. Auto focus tends to latch onto the brightest part of the subject, which won’t be your intention with this kind of photography. You will need to look at the result to see if you’re getting the effects you want.  “Daria and Yury” captured by Tatiana Garanina (Click Image to See More From Tatiana Garanina) What do you suggest?Everything depends on your original intention and perception, as in all creative work, as to whether the effects are good or bad. Used effectively, flare is a good way of expressing a feeling of light and airiness, drama, morning, hope, freedom, amongst others. The best way is to achieve it is to go try it. Get out of bed early. Meet the sunrise, find a subject, put the light just outside the viewfinder and experiment. You may surprise yourself. And if you miss it you can always add it in later in software. (But the real ones look better.) Happy shooting. About the Author For More Photography Tricks & Ideas:The publisher of this best-selling instructional eBook, Trick Photography and Special Effects, just informed us that it is nearly 70% off for the next few days. A very popular instructional eBook that explains how to do most of the trick photos that often capture attention and amazement from viewers. It also carries a 60 day no-questions-asked guarantee so there is no risk in trying it. With 300+ pages of information and 9 hours of video tutorials, it is very detailed and includes extensive explanations of many complicated methods that are very fun to learn. The discount can be found here: Trick Photography Guide Go to full article: Stray Light and Lens Flares in Photography |
| Interview with Photographer who Captured Boston Marathon Bombing Images Posted: 24 Apr 2013 02:36 PM PDT There is a big controversy in photography over the job of a photographer in a crises situation. A series of common questions fill the debate: Should a photographer stop shooting and start helping? Where does a photographer draw the line in this situation? Do photographers have to be emotionally detached from the situation or society to be able to take photos in these circumstances? How can someone sleep at night after taking photos in a tragedy? It’s a mixture of accusations and misunderstandings. To help clear things up, here is an interview with photographer John Tlumacki, who recently captured the cover photo for both the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated during the recent Boston Marathon bombing (for those reading this by email, the interview can be seen here): Obviously this is a tragic situation, but Tlumacki remained calm and went to work capturing photos for the world to see just what happened. While it may seem insensitive to take photos when people are injured and in need of help, Tlumacki makes a point when he says, “I think the world needs to see what tragedy has happened.” His point rings true. Imagine if nobody captured images of the bombing. Not only would the incident have not received the coverage and attention that it did, but information that was available would be confusing and frustrating for those who weren’t there.  Photo of Boston Marathon bombing makes the cover of Sports Illustrated  Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki captures photos at the Boston Marathon bombing Photographs let us know what’s going on in the world, and they make an emotional impact unlike any other medium because they give us a real-life visual of what has actually happened. Go to full article: Interview with Photographer who Captured Boston Marathon Bombing Images |
| Rare Parrot Attempts to Mate with Photographer Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:11 AM PDT Some wildlife photographers spend hours, days, weeks, months, or even years searching for their subject. Photographers for National Geographic are often sent to locations in which they must set up camp in the middle of a rain forest or frozen tundra to wait until they find a particular rare species. However, this was not the case for zoologist Mark Carwardine who, in an attempt to photograph the rare Kakapo parrot, found himself quickly up-close and personal with his subject (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here): In the BBC series Last Chance to See, Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine travel the world in search of rare species on the brink of extinction. On one of their many treks, they visited the rare Kakapo parrot, who, after posing for a few shots, took a particular interest in Carwardine. Stephen Fry gets in as many jokes as he can while watching the parrot attempt to mate with his partner Mark.  Zoologist Mark Carwardine photographs the Kakapo While Carwardine was in no real danger (other than a few scrapes on the neck) this video should remind us of how unpredictable animals can be and how safety should be a priority in photographing such subjects (Via Petapixel). On the other hand, this incident is quite humorous, and it’s hard to take very seriously, especially when you think about how Mark Carwardine may be the only person in existence to ever have been mated with by a Kakapo.  Kakapo attempts to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine Go to full article: Rare Parrot Attempts to Mate with Photographer |
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