Use of Lens Flare on Photoshop CS3

[Fatima]

Hi,

This image was taken with my Canon 500D on AV mode. Set of 2 strobe lights. Asked my model to do a quick spin. Used lens flare to add glamor to the photo.

Lens flare if used correctly can make a photo look real good.

What are your comments on this photo?

[Fatima]

Can anyone see the photo? Am new at this forum...

[Donald]

Fatima

No, it's not showing up.

To post from your CiC album into these posts, read this. If that doesn't solve the problem, then please do come back on and tell us what you're doing and we'll try and help diagnose the problem.

[Fatima]

Got it Donald - thanks!

[Donald]

Great, I see the image there now.

I know that you have struck up a dialogue with Colin on this thread and, to be frank, there's no-one better on here with whom to get into a dialogue on the subject of portraiture set-ups and studio lighting. So, I'll stay out of that part of the discussion.

What I can say is that this image and the others in your album demonstrate, in my view, that you have a great ability to get the model working with you on a shoot. She is clearly putting as much into the shoot as you are. I don't know if you are close personal friends, or if she is an acquaintance, or a model you hired for the day, but you certainly brought out her personality and got her working for the camera. And that's a skill in its own right.

[tameigh]

Fatima,
In my opinion, the only way a lens flare works is if the subject is backlit by the sun. It should only be used on the rarest of occasions. In your case, there is no obvious source of the flare, and I don't think it works with the white background, especially not coming out of a shadow like that. Maybe if the shadow was gone, you might get an "artificial sweetener" effect from it. Possibly.

You asked

[arith]

Well here goes; if the model was sitting side on legs facing right slightly up and open, and she was leaning forward facing the camera, with flare to the right and behind the head, I think it would work.

But although I like the idea; it looks hard to control, and I like the flare origin but not so much across the body.

Take this with a pinch of salt because I think Colin will be here in a minute.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Fatima,

I'm sorry, but the flare does look very unnatural to me, there's no reason for it other than as a gimmick.

If the photo doesn't stand on it's own, it should be passed over, adding gimmicks rarely recovers the situation
The light source isn't even "on a third" (look up "rule of thirds" if necessary).

I note from the EXIF on this shot, it was taken at 33mm thus you were probably quite close to her and I think that has contributed to an over-emphasis on Dawn's shoulder/arm size in relation to her face.

Having also read Colin's comments in the other thread and seen your tendency to 'shoot close', I wonder if a lot of the problems are being caused by you shooting in too confined a space? I can't help feeling that many of the 'standard' shots might look better if shot from a little further away and hence with a longer focal length. If you have the space, but don't have the longer focal length, just shoot at your maximum focal length and crop a little more in PP - it'll give the benefits of better perspective without the cost of a new lens. It is the camera to subject distances, not the lens focal length, that determines the perspective effects.

I would thoroughly recommend you read all Colin's "School of portraiture" series, as linked in other thread. You clearly have the enthusiasm, a fair bit of the kit and a lovely, willing model - you could soon be producing much better results

Hope that helps,

[jiro]

Hello Fatima, I'm not much into portraiture (though I would love to venture into them soon) so as what others have already said "take my word with a grain of salt".

If you will click this link: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/101886448/Flickr you would notice that the use of natural lens flare adds some drama or good effect to the images. Also, most of the time, the light source is behind the main subject causing the flare since the light is directly hitting the lens. As you have said, the flare was added using PS CS3. In my honest opinion, it does not really help at all in making a strong image. Maybe, just maybe, if you re-position the flare and then change the background (probably by cutting out the girl and paste it as a new layer) then the flare can be positioned at her back and would be OK since the background can be darker. Just an idea. Actually most of what I want to share has already been explained by the previous fine gentlemen here at CiC.

Here is a rough edit on the idea:

[Fatima]

Wow - it looks so much better! I know what you mean about the light source in my image being inappropriate. I really liked what you did with this image. Ok, now tell me HOW did you change the background so easily? I am new at PS too - and would normally use the quick selection tool, but with that I lose the detail of hair - and my image looks pasted on. Yours looks like the background was always black...

[jiro]

I am using CS5 so it helps me a bit with the new "REFINE EDGE" feature available with it. On CS3 you can also do it using masks on the channels section of the RGB layers. It's a bit of a work but can be done.

[tameigh]

Jiro, that is nice work. It is believable.

[jiro]

Jiro, that is nice work. It is believable.

Thanks, Tim.