What Are Poly Lens Flares in Photography?
- A lens flareJupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
A lens flare is visible light in an image that does not contribute to any of the actual shapes. "Poly" means that there are multiple shapes within the flare. On a bright sunny day, a lens flare appears in photography as light making its way around a corner or through some trees. Most often, it is an unintentional or undesirable effect. However, it can add to the overall composition to some pictures, ultimately creating an aesthetically pleasing outcome. - Digital camera lenses as well as film camera lenses are complex. They incorporate many elements in order to reproduce an image. In order to create a lens flare, you need one key element: intense light. This can be indoor or outdoor light. Reflected light that unintentionally strikes a part of the lens other than the sensor or film causes the flare. Lenses are coated to avoid this effect, but it can still happen.
- There are simple cost effective ways to avoid a lens flare. The primary solution is to use a lens hood. The lens hood is usually a plastic piece that screws onto the front of your lens. It creates a shield or visor that minimizes excess light and reduces the possibility of flare. The secondary solution is to incorporate the flare artistically. In other words, use the flare as a part of the overall image composition.
- As stated earlier, sometimes lens flare can add to a picture. If you were not able to capture a flare in the original environment, you can add it later. Software such as Adobe Photoshop CS5 has filters that add flares to your images. With a few clicks, you can drop a flare into any picture regardless of how much natural light was present when you took it.
