all the right places

I fell in love with shooting into the sun many, many years ago. Like, before I had ever even heard of digital photography. Some of you might remember those days. I recall the element of sun-shiny surprise to be intoxicating. No matter what event I was shooting I always fired off a couple of frames, lens pointed toward the sun. Whether I shot straight into it or just allowed the light to skim across my lens was no matter. It felt good t throw caution to the wind just to see what would come from it.

In those days, there were no test shots and nothing to double check to be sure you were getting the results you were hoping for. It was all good intentions and a lot of finger crossing. Fast forward to now, when you can experiment with any photographic technique with immediate feedback. I am even more invested in trial and error than ever before. Why not? There is nothing to loose. Not even developing costs.

I have been really focused on flare lately. It's become an obsession. Where to put it, how to get the flare and the sunspots to work together, how to manipulate the shape of the flare itself. These are all questions that can't be perfectly answered as using the light as a creative paintbrush  will always yield somewhat  inconsistent results. However, there are ways of getting a least a little more control of this illusive subject.

I hold closely the invaluable information that Sarah has shared here with us on flare and what Kristin shared too. It's always nice when someone who has taken good notes, can shed a little light on things for us. Pun definitely intended.

Regardless of what we know or don't know about flare, how long we've been working on it or how early we still are on our hunt to harness it, sometimes the photographic planets do align and we get a shot where the light shines exactly where it should. Insert heavenly voices singing together here.

Share with us that shot. The one where the light falls into place even better than if someone set it there themselves.

The beautiful belly above belongs to Superhero Andrea Scher.

Comments

[Christineellen]

I love sun flare!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christineellen/4700185347/

[Karen]

Sometimes you are just lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karamello62/4655798294/

[Marcie]

What a terrific and magical way to capture the sun's flair..and to point it at nature's beauty.
And sometimes it's the soft background light..that makes the bright light so special:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1244

[marina]

what a moving beautiful shot, Tracey!
here's a more urban flare:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36167691@N03/4596396610/lightbox/

[Becky Sue]

Amazing belly flare!

I've been practicing recently with flare after seeing gorgeous woodland shots by my neighbor.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/4830007657/

And who knew that flare could be funny?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/4811616573/

[Lori]

Wow - that is a well placed flare! I have not experimented with sun flare. Only captured it by accident. In this shot it sort of came down and tousled the mane of our filly, Trixie. I am considering starting a photography journal - actually printing out the photos and journaling why and how I took it and what I was looking for and what I got.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanderwood/4830022141/

[lucy]

fantastic flare!

i love sun flare, whether straight on or subtle. here's some in-your-face flare:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyloomis/4412831956/

[Jen at Cabin Fever]

The sun is one of the few things that guide my photography. My camera and I live by it. I have some new photos I just took that are perfect, facing the sun, during "The Golden Hour", but I have yet to get them off my camera. You don't have to get a sunflare IN the photo. There is so much more you can do with the sun.

I think that will be my goal for today :)

http://www.cabinfeververmont.com

http://www.nekphotography.blogspot.com

[kristen marie]

beautiful capture. love how the flare is right on her belly.

a bit of flare over the water on a warm summer day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kbanthology/4830660018/

[Michel]

I love your shot, what a beauty. I love lens flare. my gosh. I haven't shot into the sun in a while, so I'm going to spend this evening doing just that. for now, an older gem.

http://www.wishfulthinkingblog.com/wishful-thinking/2010/6/13/sun-setting.html

[Julibaca]

I learned how to create the Star effect with my lens and was teaching it to some of my class mates when I took this shot.

[Brooke]

I shared a flare shot the other day so here's something a little different. Exposing on the petals instead of the center of the flower just lit it up. And I love it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterboo502/4769034590/

[georgia]

your photo is breathtaking. what a perfect capture to symbolize the expectation of a mother-to-be.

here is one of my favorite sunlight/flare captures. i had been at this old, abandoned bridge for a couple of hours with a friend taking pictures. then as we were leaving, the sun began to set, and was doing some cool things with the old iron structures that shot up from the bridge.

http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2010/07/another-post-inspired-by-shutter.html

[deea]

The guy at the camera store gave me the weirdest look when I told him I didn't like UV filters because I LIKED the sun flare in photos! So glad I'm not alone! ~d
this is from awhile ago, but I love it so..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepdish/223916650/

[soupatraveler]

wow! so many awesome examples of flare! there's something so hopeful and magical about shooting into the sun and catching it just right, and sometimes it turns a lackluster drive-by-shooting into something truly special:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46922592@N00/4819985868/

[Stephanie]

I may have shared this one before, but the sun just turned out so perfectly in the first shot. I can't believe how lucky I got! http://bigmariolife.blogspot.com/2010/03/backyard.html

[Jamie Solorio]

I LOVE sun flare! Here is a shot from the other day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/4823708419/
www.jamie-solorio.blogspot.com

[Jamie Solorio]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/4830555079/

Oopps, not sure how to add this to my last commet... here is another one I liked that I did the other day.

[Deirdre]

That flare is perfectly positioned. What a gorgeous shot!

I have photos where the flare might be in a better spot, but I really love the bubbly flare that I get with my dreamy diana lens adn thought it would be fun to share some of that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/4440823663

[BlessedMess]

I used to always have it stuck in my head that you wanted the sun at your back. Advice from my father, who takes really great photos. But kinda safe, standard photos.

A little over a year ago, after being inspired by beautiful images such as the one you just shared above, I turned my camera into the sun....and I haven't stopped. Not sure if I'm always successful, and can't always tell when I click that shutter. But how exhilarating when you download, or spin your lens around and take a look, and see the magic!

A recent one of my niece...skin tone got super funky so went black and white...miss the warmth but the light is still there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/4828469870/

[cigi]

Beautiful shot. Some flare from a day at the beach:
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/52365/

[Erin]

Hello, my name is Erin, and I am a flare addict:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46362400@N06/4352800518/in/set-72157623230836618/

[WorthIt!]

It is inspiring to see such wonderful shots.

I love shooting into the sun...here is a recent shot in celebration of the gorgeous day my cousin chose to marry his high school sweetheart.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/4830998951/

[Jeanne]

I think I need to start paying attention to flares! I went through my stuff, and this is the closest I can come right now!!

http://bostongirlontheverge.blogspot.com/2010/07/flash-of-flair.html

[Tracy]

Yes, I love flare! Here are two of my faves from the same shoot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/3994804175/in/set-72157622423872413/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/3995530242/in/set-72157622423872413/

[Vanessa]

love this post. and adore the photo of Andrea!
my current flare fave: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/4798344639/in/set-72157624455790372/

[darrah parker]

What a gorgeous shot! Here's a photo that has an "accidental" sun flare. Originally, I put this photo in the reject pile, but now it's one of my favorites.

http://www.darrahparker.com/blog/slice-of-life-tuesday-the-rejects.html

[Renae]

I'm so in love with that photo.

Here's my husband and son watching trains in the late afternoon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theopuses/4646756436/in/set-72157624411430639/

[lauren]

Just discovered your site through Allessandra's site, through ... and will be coming back for more. Been trying to work on flare shots a bit, so this is perfect timing, thanks!

[Sarah]

I lurve shooting into the sun, and particularly deliberately catching a little flare. Here are a couple of my recent favorites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chezchiens/4823747811/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chezchiens/4767205828/in/photostream/

I'm really enjoying flipping through the shots everyone shared above!
Sarah

[{Sarah}]

I'm a light-chaser extraordinaire! And, I was so happy when I got home from the river and saw the perfect placement of the sunflare in this shot! Lucky, happy me!

http://vieboheme.typepad.com/vie-boheme/2010/07/sacred-cycles-meditation.html

[Marci]

A couple of attempts from a shoot last year:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8892061@N04/

[Victoria]

Beautiful capture! Just perfect where that flare comes in :)
I've been playing with sun flare a little here and there.
I haven't got it figured out, but I have gotten lucky on a few shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6riddles/4814645545/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6riddles/4807001655/in/set-72157623017471431/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6riddles/4795686217/in/set-72157623017471431/

[kristyk]

I love the flares! I have a whole set dedicated to them, but here are a couple of my favorite:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristyk/2919592734/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristyk/974896520
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristyk/1889858087/

[Sukhi]

My baby taking some of her first steps into the flare. she didn't want to leave. I wouldn't either if having my feet planted on the ground was new territory. She was so used to being transported everywhere on my hip. Sigh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89916296@N00/4833215066/

[Dottie]

Playing with the sun is lots of fun. Like you said, much easier with a digital camera. I think my favorite sun picture is a film shot, where the sunrise reflecting off the lake perfectly lit the silhouette of a man fishing. This was Lake Michigan right by downtown Chicago during my morning bike commute, so a fisherman was an unusual sight :)

http://dreamcamera.tumblr.com/post/851395892/fishing-in-chicago

[mandy]

love this topic! i took this photo, which maybe once i would have thought was wrong, but now i definitely love!!

http://shutterandink.blogspot.com/2010/07/jade-and-tim-preview.html

[Mrs Soup]

I first discovered the lovely sun flare when doing a shoot with my niece a few years ago...the location made it impossible to do it any other way and once I saw the images, I loved it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/2987555477/in/set-72157608525040575/

I love the look and purposefully try to get it often now.

It can make even a boring nature shot look like a fairy land!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/4147303611/in/set-72157622615669101/

[lilia]

I absoflippin'lutely love flare! I'm a bit of a junkie, actually...and there is something about a mama with a babe in her belly that just totally and completely calls for flare:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkinoodle/4800113054/

also, ordinarymagical moments with my muse, a swing, and sunset:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkinoodle/4838833324/

and, heck, I could go on all day...but, well, here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkinoodle/tags/flare/

Awesome topic!!

xoxo
Lilia

[Haley]

Great shot!

I love the flare...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hcreative/4829003857/

Haley

[jenica]

it wasn't until it got to the cutting board that i realized the flare had created a little love heart between them. yum:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onelittleone/4836453225/

[Jenn H]

Loved looking through all these pictures!! Here's one I shot while we watched a stunning sunrise during our vacation in Colorado

http://cherrypiebutterfly.blogspot.com/2010/07/theme-thursday-light.html

[Kim McMechan]

Okay, could SOMEBODY tell me how Andrea is not a dark sillouette (no flash) or a too-bright apparition (flash)? I want to take shots like these!!!!! Anybody? (Beautiful by the way.)

[Angela]

Here's a shot of my hubby with a flare on one side and a pair of chopsticks on the other. I too would like to know how to shoot this so that the subject is not a silhouette, although in my case, my husband has dark skin so maybe it's unavoidable.

http://angela-hemming.blogspot.com/2010/07/few-things-i-love-about-my-hubby.html

[Carolyn Delles]

This is one of my favorite things to shoot also! Here is what I just stumbled across the other day!

http://carolynsmusingsonlife.blogspot.com/

[Mariella]

How perfect. Gave me the chills. Gorgeous photo!! xoxo, ~ M.