Photographing sun flares: Now it’s your turn When photographing sun flares, experiment and have fun.ĭon’t be afraid to take tons of pictures, try different aperture settings, and move around. Sun flares are wild and unpredictable. Be creative and use different objects to block (or diffuse) the light. You’re bound to get lots of overexposed and underexposed photos, but you’ll get a lot of gorgeous results, as well. This last tip is probably the most important:

If your camera does not have spot metering, then partial metering is the next best choice. Note that I use autofocus with the focus point set to the center (as the focus point is where your metering mode will be active). All but one of the photos in this article were taken using spot metering. Spot metering handles bright light really well, so if you’ve got a choice, go with this metering mode. I love how this adds soft light (as shown in the photo above), and how the eye is drawn up to the source of light. Once your camera focuses, take your hand down and press the shutter the rest of the way. When this happens, hold up your hand to cover the sun, compose your photo, and press your shutter release halfway. There is so much light that your camera may struggle to lock focus on the right spot. It can be hard to focus when shooting sun flares. It helps to brighten the face, making the photo look more pleasing.

Using a reflector can be helpful if your model is in the shade. Reflectors are usually made of fabric (white, silver, or gold) and can be handheld, hung from a freestanding base, or placed on the ground. Use a reflectorĪ reflector is designed to reflect the light back onto your subject. Having your model sit down will make it easier for you.Īnd when the sun is lower in the sky, positioning becomes easier for both of you. The higher the sun is, the lower you’ll need to be in order to place the flare at your model’s head or at your model’s shoulders.

The image above was taken around 3:00 PM in the afternoon, and I was lying on the ground. Depending on the time of day, you might need to lie down, and have your model sit or lie down, too.

Photox sun reflex