What causes a hazy patch around the sun in a wide-angle sunrise photo?
Asked 9/2/2013
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2 answers
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I shot a sunrise at the beach with a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and noticed a diffuse hazy patch around the sun in an otherwise clear sky. The effect is visible in the original bracketed exposures as well as the HDR merge. What typically causes this kind of artifact, and how can I reduce or avoid it when shooting into the sun?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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I looks to me like the haze left behind from lens cleaner that didn't do a perfect job. Clean the surface of the lens again to remove the residual scum.
BTW, Improperly used aerosol pressurized products such as "Dust-Off" leave behind a nasty, hard to remove coating of residual propellant.
Don't soak the lens. Use lens cleaning fluids sparingly.
EDIT: All that stuff is true. BUT, your particular problem has nothing to do with the lens. Your example shows a classic example of a dirty sensor. The symptom is the appearance of a dappled flare appearing in the blue sky near highlights. Save it as an example.
Remedy: Clean your sensor.
Originally by user21789. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21789
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This kind of artifact is usually flare/scatter from something in the optical path rather than the HDR process itself. Based on the answers, the most likely causes are:
- residue or smudges on the front element or a filter
- internal reflections/flare from the lens when shooting near the sun
- possibly sensor dirt, which can show as diffuse flare-like patches near bright highlights
How to reduce it:
- clean the front element carefully with proper lens-cleaning materials
- remove any protective/UV filter and test again
- compare shots at slightly different framing/apertures to see if it’s lens flare behavior
- if the pattern persists in many shots, clean the sensor
- use a hood when possible, though with the sun in frame it may only help a little
Since the effect appears in the originals, HDR merging is not the root cause. Start by checking for a dirty filter/lens surface, then test without the filter, and if needed inspect/clean the sensor.
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