What causes odd flare shapes in concert photos, and how can I reduce them?
Asked 8/14/2011
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I photographed a concert and noticed unusual flare around bright stage lights—soft, irregular arcs rather than normal starbursts. In one image the flare appears above a performer’s head and again near the mic stand. I was shooting with a Nikon D90 and an 18-200mm lens, no filter or hood attached. This shot was 1/125s, f/5.3, 95mm, ISO 3200. What causes this kind of flare, and what can I do to avoid or reduce it when shooting concerts?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
6
If you're talking about the strange arcs like in the bottom left corner of this picture:
Then it's just flare caused by shooting into a lightsource. Concert lights tend to produce strong flaring effects as they are very focussed.
The only fix is to use a different lens (they all flare differently) or not shoot directly into any lightsources. However when I'm shooting concerts I usually shoot directly into the lights on purpose and use any flare as an artistic tool to make the image more interesting.
Here's another image featuring some particularly strange flare from the Canon 50 f/1.8:
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
15y ago
0
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This is lens flare from bright stage lights. Strong, focused lights can reflect internally between lens elements and create irregular arcs, blobs, or streaks instead of neat rays. Different lenses flare differently, so the exact shape is normal for that lens/light angle combination.
To reduce it:
- Avoid aiming directly at bright lights when possible.
- Use a lens hood, especially to block light just outside the frame.
- Remove any unnecessary protective/UV filter indoors or at night unless it’s a good multi-coated one, since extra glass adds more reflective surfaces.
- If possible, stop down a bit or use a lens with better flare control.
Some of the blue lines may also be related optical artifacts, and chromatic aberration can make flare look worse.
In concert photography, though, some flare is often unavoidable because the lights are intense and directional. Sometimes the best approach is to change your shooting angle—or embrace it as a creative effect.
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