# Lens Flare - what am I doing wrong!



## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

Ok - this really really irritates me! I get some fantastic colours in the sky and reflections to be ruined (IMO) by ****ty lens flare...


IMG_1179 by Ed Bookless, on Flickr

Anyway round it?


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

hi man, not really - just what happens when shooting at the sun with filters on, you may get away with it if your filters are spotless but it's one of those things and shooting near the sea you'll always get some crap on them

nice shot, straighten your horizon tho


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

buckas said:


> hi man, not really - just what happens when shooting at the sun with filters on, you may get away with it if your filters are spotless but it's one of those things and shooting near the sea you'll always get some crap on them
> 
> nice shot, straighten your horizon tho


Cheers 

I knew someone was going to mention the horizon - it's bit of an optical illusion because the ground is higher at the left handside! I've checked it like 6 times hehe... although I could do with checking on a bigger screen. Need to get a cable for my new macbook as editing on a 13" screen aint ideal!


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

As Drew says, keeping the lens clean is the biggest point, especially when there's spray/rain about. 
Also, did you have more than one filter 'stacked'? This can do it too.

I had a similar issue (only worse) with a shot of a double rainbow - flare on a water droplet as I was facing into driving rain ruined the shot.

PS I'm not looking at your shot there Eddie and thinking the flare has ruined it - far from it


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

Buck said:


> As Drew says, keeping the lens clean is the biggest point, especially when there's spray/rain about.
> Also, did you have more than one filter 'stacked'? This can do it too.
> 
> I had a similar issue (only worse) with a shot of a double rainbow - flare on a water droplet as I was facing into driving rain ruined the shot.
> ...


Thanks had a Lee 0.9ND Soft Grad which was brand new and a Kood ND4 - appear to get mostly when stacking lens as you said but I like to use the ND4 to get a longer shutter speed!


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

I think it's the interaction betweenthe two lenses - the refraction(?) from lens one through lens two etc.

[does that make sense?]


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

You can get a filter to stop this. Used in nighttime photography on long exposure. Used to have one before I sold it with my cruddy kit lens!


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## Ben. (Sep 7, 2009)

My 8mm suffers terribly from this...


What the? by bensambrook, on Flickr

Although I don't mind one little bit


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Looks very good to me


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

Buck said:


> I think it's the interaction betweenthe two lenses - the refraction(?) from lens one through lens two etc.
> 
> [does that make sense?]


Think so, I did physics A-level and not artistic in slightest so I understand all the physics behind photography...problem is I've not got an artistic bone in my body!

I've only noticed it when stacking with my Kood ND... might try reversing one my hard ND grads next time over the water to see if it makes a difference!


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

B17BLG said:


> You can get a lens to stop this. Used in nighttime photography on long exposure. Used to have one before I sold it with my cruddy kit lens!


Don't understand mate - if shot at night I'd not get any sunset which kinda defeats my objective of going to shoot sunset!


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Hi Ed thats what photoshops for mate 

I get it when I stack filters and shoot into the sun, and simply shoot a number of images at differing apertures until its least prevalent and then banish myself for an hour with PS There are some quite good desaturation techniques as well as cloning that will remove/reduce lens flare!


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

EddieB said:


> Don't understand mate - if shot at night I'd not get any sunset which kinda defeats my objective of going to shoot sunset!


When you shoot at night, you get light dazzle off streetlamps which refracts down the lens as it hits the glass in the lens. So I specifically bought the filter because i was shooting night time photography and also it worked when I shot sunsets and even when you shoot a car with headlights on (especially HID's)!

EDIT: sorry in my above post i put lens to stop this, i meant filter buddy!


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

graghh - I need to learn how to use PSE10... will buy a book today!


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

B17BLG said:


> When you shoot at night, you get light dazzle off streetlamps which refracts down the lens as it hits the glass in the lens. So I specifically bought the filter because i was shooting night time photography and also it worked when I shot sunsets and even when you shoot a car with headlights on (especially HID's)!


Cheers - you got a link so I can have a gander?


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

EddieB said:


> Cheers - you got a link so I can have a gander?


I went into my local photography and discussed it with peter.

here is there website. maybe worth dropping them a line

http://www.peterrogers-photo.co.uk/


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