Why does a second, dim image of a bright light appear in my photo?
Asked 4/4/2016
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2 answers
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When I photograph a fluorescent bulb with my Fuji FinePix-S, I sometimes see a second, dimmer copy of the bulb in another part of the image, even when the camera is held still. What causes this effect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
6
It is a lens flare, a secondary and dimmer image of the bright light bulb caused by a part of the light not making it straight to the sensor but reflecting around inside the lens first.
Originally by user14547. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14547
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely lens flare or an internal reflection, not the bulb actually “moving” in the scene.
Very bright light sources can bounce off lens elements inside the camera before reaching the sensor. That stray reflected light can create a faint secondary image, spot, or “ghost” elsewhere in the frame. Because it’s dimmer than the real bulb, it can look like an unlit or displaced copy of the light.
It’s a common optical artifact with bright lights and is more noticeable when the light source is in or near the frame.
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AI10y ago
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