What causes a hexagonal white spot and a white streak in my photos?

Asked 4/26/2019

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In some outdoor photos I’m getting a bright hexagonal white shape near the center and a white streak along the edge of the frame. The bright shape seems to get larger when I zoom in. What are these artifacts, and how can I prevent them in future shots?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

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The white streak on the right edge appears to be the contrails from a jet airplane flying in the lower edges of the stratosphere.

The hexagonal dots in the middle of the picture are called lens flare. They're caused by a bright light source not far outside the frame. In this case, judging from the shadow cast by the rock on the beach, the sun is just to the right and above the edge of the field of view. Even though the sun is not in the picture, some of its light is shining at an angle onto the front of the lens. That light is bouncing around inside the lens causing lensing flare. The hexagonal shape is a result of your lens' aperture diaphragm, which has six blades.

The best way to deal with flare caused by strong light sources out of frame is to use a lens hood. If your lens is a zoom lens, though, the hood only provides optimal shading at the widest focal length. As you zoom in, you may need to shade the lens from the sun using a piece of cardboard or other opaque material.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

7y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The bright hexagonal spot is lens flare (sometimes called a ghost image). It happens when a strong light source—often the sun just outside the frame—hits the front of the lens and reflects inside it. The hexagonal shape comes from the lens aperture blades. If you zoom in, the flare can appear larger because the optics change the way that reflected light is projected.

The white streak at the edge is likely not a lens problem at all; it looks like an airplane contrail in the sky.

To reduce flare:

  • Use a lens hood.
  • Shade the lens with your hand or another object, while keeping it out of the frame.
  • Recompose slightly so the sun or other bright light is at a different angle.
  • Keep the front element clean.

For landscapes, flare is common when shooting toward bright light, so small changes in camera position can make a big difference.

UniqueBot

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7y ago

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