flare doesn't matter! huh??

Sometimes its usefull and can give a creative effect.
 
It is used in the shot that has booked me the most weddings...
 
shaylou said:
danieljamesphoto said:
Depends on the effect your going for I find :) most of the time it's a pain though![/QUO

What kind of effect would this be useful?
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A shot where you are going for a flare effect? :)

Could be any shot where the flare adds something. Not for everyone obviously and some see it as a badly executued photo...
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I think intentional flare can add to the atmosphere in a photo, used sparingly.
 
cf38a991.jpg
 
It's not for everyone but if it's done right it can be very effective and reap it's rewards. I don't generally sell work professionally and I've only actually sold a handful of stuff by comparison, but the one that paid the most had some nice flare in it. It was only a test shot too :)
 
Can we see some examples. I would hardly call Jon's shot an example of lens flare.
 
...although now having seen the OP's location I'd say flare does matter, and you do need to watch out for it. Not so much a problem this side of the Atlantic where flare is often introduced artificially. :P :D
 
How about this? Hafta say I'm not sure if the flare is good or bad here, but I think it helps with the impact and balances the dark top corner. Others, feel free to differ...

dbc24b58.jpg
 
I like a bit of flare now and then...

c97-JPW_5363.jpg
 
I think some flare effects look great, though I wouldn't call Jonathan's examples anything like the kind of flare I'm imaginging. A quick google brought up these wedding examples, and I can see why some wedding shooters go for this look. Soft-focus will be making a comback next!

http://www.katemacpherson.com/tag/golden-light/

http://www.annelimarinovich.com/201...l-shoot-in-newtown-johannesburg-south-africa/

http://www.katemacpherson.com/tag/lens-flare/

One of my all time favourite shots (it was in my one and only exhibition some 30 years ago, back in the Sarah Moon era :D) is deliberately very flarey, and I remember how hard it was to take, with effects being very unpredictable, and shot on film of course.

It's that unpredictability that makes it such a tricky thing to pull off reliably, but digital's instant replay obviously makes that 100x easier.
 
Or like this shot, which was taken intentionally, dropped in the bin, taken out of the bin, and then made me a fair amount of money

40.jpg
 
This shot always causes a lot of different views.
Persnally Im atill undecided.
I think sometimes it adds to the shot, other times it doesnt. Depends on the mood Im in.


Wooden by TCR4x4, on Flickr
 
shaylou said:
I was reading a comment and long story short it said that the color flare in a picture does not matter (from sun). Am I crazy for thinking it matters a lot or is he just mistaken?
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See this thread.

It's a subjective aesthitic, there is no right or wrong.
 
It's a tool to be used just like anything else. Saying you should never take a photo with flare in it, is like saying you should never blow highlights or crush shadows, or you should never take a photo without flare in it. As long as you don't add that horrible fake stuff in PS, it's all good.

Random examples I had to hand:

flare-1.jpg

flare-2.jpg

flare-3.jpg

flare-4.jpg

flare-5.jpg

flare-6.jpg


J
 
Jayst84 said:
It's a tool to be used just like anything else. Saying you should never take a photo with flare in it, is like saying you should never blow highlights or crush shadows, or you should never take a photo without flare in it. As long as you don't add that horrible fake stuff in PS, it's all good.

Random examples I had to hand:

J
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I like the second shot, the rest not at all (no offense). Like I said its just an opinion....
 
shaylou said:
I like the second shot, the rest not at all (no offense). Like I said its just an opinion....
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Fair enough. :thumbs: I do find it odd that some people seem have a blanket dislike of photos with flare in them.

For what it's worth (not that it matters) I think all of these bar the first, have either been used by clients or received awards.
 
Jayst84 said:
Fair enough. :thumbs: I do find it odd that some people seem have a blanket dislike of photos with flare in them.

For what it's worth (not that it matters) I think all of these bar the first, have either been used by clients or received awards.
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Taking a second look at number 2 I would add that the shot would be quite boring without the flare in it and it really brings the shot to life. On the other hand the pics getting awards, I would seriously have to questing the qualifications of the people giving the awards out.
 
shaylou said:
Taking a second look at number 2 I would add that the shot would be quite boring without the flare in it and it really brings the shot to life. On the other hand the pics getting awards, I would seriously have to questing the qualifications of the people giving the awards out.
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So what do you like?

TBH, a lot of us week in week out shoot a LOT, and the odd shot here and there is flared or has some other aspect to it that is pushed. The shot I posted was in a sequence of shots, none of which contained flare. Sometimes we do this as a distraction or to promote a feeling. In the case of my shot, it was a real feeling of freedom and the couple getting a care free moment alone. It also injects some facts into the shot - the time of day - the sun was low... this all goes to adding to the story of the group of shots it belongs to as a whole

Additionally, flare is a real artifact people are used to seeing, when driving, with glasses, behind windows etc. etc. We cant pretend it isn't there. However, it is also an effect that photographers and film makers have used for ages to distract, disorientate or promote a mood or feeling. Its a toll in the box as such

A lot of us also need to think beyond "what we like" and deliver what the customer wants
 
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shaylou said:
Taking a second look at number 2 I would add that the shot would be quite boring without the flare in it and it really brings the shot to life. On the other hand the pics getting awards, I would seriously have to questing the qualifications of the people giving the awards out.
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And what gives you any more or less qualification to say they don't deserve awards?

Photography is subjective, what you like, someone else may not. If someone has deemed them worthy for an award, then so be it, you are in no place whatsoever to say they are not worthy just because you don't like them.
 
shaylou said:
Taking a second look at number 2 I would add that the shot would be quite boring without the flare in it and it really brings the shot to life. On the other hand the pics getting awards, I would seriously have to questing the qualifications of the people giving the awards out.
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Well, #2 is a shot of a bloke singing - not too much you can do with that brief, except maybe throw in a few shots with deliberate flare alongside the 'standard' ones to make it a bit more interesting. ;)

And seeing as you asked, the last one was part of a series that was awarded over here (and I'm not defending the work here, just answering your question, in fact this shot will probably be edited out of the series in the future). Judges included a Nat Geo shooter and a commercial photographer who shoots for, well, just about everybody. The series was part of an exhibition that travelled to 4 states around Oz and was published in part in Europe and the USA. Still, it is an ongoing project. The rest of them, well, they just get me paid. ;)

Anyway, if you don't like photos with flare in, that's cool, but I think you'd be limiting yourself if you excluded such a basic thing from your photography. :thumbs:
 
TCR4x4 said:
And what gives you any more or less qualification to say they don't deserve awards?

Photography is subjective, what you like, someone else may not. If someone has deemed them worthy for an award, then so be it, you are in no place whatsoever to say they are not worthy just because you don't like them.
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Easy fellow don't get so bent out of shape. I guess I should have followed that statement with lol like it was intended.

(I) made this thread to see what if anything I was missing about flare in photographs. After a lot of good comment and examples I realized that for the most part I do not care for it (just an opinion) but after looking at many shots I did find one that I thought the flare made the picture. The other thing is that many people have different opinions about flare that I don't agree with (my right last I checked) so when someone say that a pic has got an award it is a perfectly legitimate statement to question who gave the award given that I may not have the same taste or likes as they do. That's all I meant by that statement and even meant for it to have a humorous tone. There was no offence entered.
 
Richard King said:
So what do you like?

TBH, a lot of us week in week out shoot a LOT, and the odd shot here and there is flared or has some other aspect to it that is pushed. The shot I posted was in a sequence of shots, none of which contained flare. Sometimes we do this as a distraction or to promote a feeling. In the case of my shot, it was a real feeling of freedom and the couple getting a care free moment alone. It also injects some facts into the shot - the time of day - the sun was low... this all goes to adding to the story of the group of shots it belongs to as a whole



A lot of us also need to think beyond "what we like" and deliver what the customer want.

True, and some of us get to think beyond selling their product.
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shaylou said:
That's all I meant by that statement and even meant for it to have a humorous tone. There was no offence entered.
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No offence taken by me either. :thumbs: Awards mean very little (except when they have cash prizes :p ) they're just the opinion of whoever happens to be judging, and of course, images are only judged against those that were entered into the same competition.


shaylou said:
Richard King said:
A lot of us also need to think beyond "what we like" and deliver what the customer want.
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True, and some of us get to think beyond selling their product.
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I shoot the way I like to shoot, people hire me because they like the way I shoot, so I go out and do the same for them.
 
TCR4x4 said:
And what gives you any more or less qualification to say they don't deserve awards?

Photography is subjective, what you like, someone else may not. If someone has deemed them worthy for an award, then so be it, you are in no place whatsoever to say they are not worthy just because you don't like them.
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The word "Qualifications" was definitely a poor choice on my part, I apologize.
 
Jayst84 said:
No offence taken by me either. :thumbs: Awards mean very little (except when they have cash prizes :p ) they're just the opinion of whoever happens to be judging, and of course, images are only judged against those that were entered into the same competition.

I shoot the way I like to shoot, people hire me because they like the way I shoot, so I go out and do the same for them.
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That a really great gig. Perhaps one day I will be as fortunate and people will actually pay me for doing what I love to do and the the way I prefer to do it.
 
shaylou said:
The word "Qualifications" was definitely a poor choice on my part, I apologize.
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I wasn't having a go, and no offence taken, just making the point none of us are really qualified to give out awards, as everything is subjective.
I've seen some photos win pretty prestigious awards, and I've thought the images were poor at best, where as I see others on here that get a frosty reception, but I really like them.
 
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