Backlighting Help, Please - Shooting trees against sun

redleash

I occasionally like to try shooting into or towards the sun when I see interesting subjects that I think would work. I shot this over the weekend. It is not a great shot but it does illustrate the potential for the look I want as well as the problems. I generally use a polarizer but I cannot swear I had it on because I was switching lenses and I don't have enough filters.

How can I successfully capture a shot like this with bright sun--very close to noon, which I realize is generally not the best. How do I eliminate the sun spots? Is there ever a time to include sun spots?

I spent very little time in this spot, so I know there are other things I could/would do next time. I am specifically interested in learning about the lighting aspect, but I will welcome other comments.

Thanks,
Lauren

pathfinder

A large lens hood would be my first suggestion - not an OEM hood, but a constructed or purchased hood much bigger and longer than usual.

Lens hoods for movie cameras are frequently 2-3 feet in length. Some of us use are large hand held fedora to shield the lens from the suns rays to diminish lens flare as well. I rally am not kidding about using our hat to shield the lens. I do it a lot.

Or you can put your camera in the shade when you shoot as well.

If you are going to shoot directly into the sun a lens hood will not help in that case. Some lenses suffer more from flair than others. Generally zooms are worse than primes. While I love my 24-105 f4 IS L, you do have to be very careful with it when you point it at very bright light sources as it can flare more than some lenses.

Simple well made primes are usually the best at controlling flair, but each lens design is different.

Qarik

if you have the sun in the frame..I don't know that you can eliminate the flares consistently. When metering for that kind of shot though..you should spot or center ther exposure meter on the blue sky away from the sun. Your exposure looks decent in that shot though.

Daniel

redleash

Thanks to you both. I do have a lens hood, the standard one that came with the lenses. I don't use it much but am trying to remember to take it along for when I do need it. I actually have used the fedora approach before!

jfriend

If the sun is not actually in the image, then all you have to do to prevent this is make sure that no direct sun-light is hitting the lens elements. No filters is also desirable when trying to eliminate flare.

A lens hood for a prime lens might work. A lens hood for a zoom has to allow light from the widest angle that the zoom goes to so they aren't always enough to solve this. The solution could be as simple as using your hand to shade the lens so no direct sun hits it. Or, you can ask someone you're with to do that while you look through the lens to make sure their hand isn't in the image. A piece of cardboard held over the top of the lens and down as low as possible without getting into the image can work too.

Block direct sun-light from hitting the lens elements and you should have no flare.

redleash

Thanks, John. I had no idea about the issue with the hood and a zoom.

FYI, I shot this one with the 18-55 zoom at 18 mm. Set at 1/100 f/8 ISO 100. Auto exposure.

I appreciate all the info. I'll put it to use next time I'm wanting to shoot this way.

Cheers,
Lauren

Mitchell

The other thing I remind people about is the effect of add on "protective" filters. Many put these clear filters on their lenses for protection, but they can significantly increase lens flare.

Use your lens hood and remove any filters you have on the lens when in this situation.

redleash

Thanks, Mitchell.

ian408

You might also consider using something to shade the camera from the sun. This could be as small as the hood others have suggested and as large as a translucent panel.

pathfinder

Stand in the shade of an adjacent tree or building will work