Do It With Flare

Jason Parnell-Brookes reveals how to use lens flare to your advantage to create atmospheric, summery scenes

1 hour usually photographers work hard to avoid lens flare, which is caused when direct sunlightenters the lens. It can be distracting, causing metering issues and introducing specular highlights. sometimes, however, you can take advantage of it for creative effect.

For this technique to work, the sun needs to be near the edges of the frame, so check the forecast before you head out, and shoot early or late in the day when the sun is close to the horizon. Position your model between the camera and the sun; the low sun will backlight the subject and give you some dramatic flare effects. Don’t look directly at the sun through the viewfinder, though; if necessary, use Live View to compose your shots.

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