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I have just discovered....
Lightscape overlays (google it if you don't know what I'm talking about). Please excuse me while my flare-loving self giggles with glee at the thought of nailing perfect flare every time without having to shoot dozens of extra images for, even if I can't always get it in camera because of angle/cranky exposure/cranky AF/client who keep turning head the wrong way/sudden cloud cover/insert impediment of choice.
As you were. I'll calm down in a moment.
As you were. I'll calm down in a moment.
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14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
85 and 50 1.4
45 PC and sb910 x2
http://www.danielkimphotography.com
Yes, Qarik, I am giddy. GIDDY!!
Haha! I've run into all those problems, but here are some helpful protips for you to achieve epic sunflare:
1. Make sure your camera is set to spot metering and only enable to the center AF point (especially since you are using the mkii since their AF system is garbage)
2. Found a good spot for flare? Awesome. Move away from the flare at the same distance from the subject, autofocus so your camera can easily detect the subject, recompose the shot back to the flare, and tap down that shutter to get a perfectly in focus shot. If this doesn't work, switch manual focus and zoom in in live view for tack sharp focus.
3. Having trouble controlling flare? Angle the lens a little upward or downward. Still not working? move around the subject in a circular motion to see where the flare looks best, have her pose to compliment that flare, and shoot away. (The last tip is to better control that boob flare XD).
Of course, like anything else, it's a learning curve. Still a nice find though!
Great tips! I'm always on the center AF point on the 5dII, but I admit I usually shoot into the sun while shooting other setups too, and forget to turn to spot metering (whoops) - may be why my results are often so unpredictable. It may be a good time to use the back button focus lock, too; haven't experimented with that, but I may at some point.
One other Q for you: when shooting into the light, I often find that I am LITERALLY blind - I can't see through the viewfinder haze and just have to hope the camera finds the subject and AF's. Are you actually seeing the flare results in the viewfinder?
Just to clarify for anybody who thinks I have turned into a spray, pray and fix it in post shooter: I would never want to rely only on post effects for this, but I love being able to control it a little more after the fact when needed (emphasis on "needed"). I HATE the flare "effect" in PS and have never added it in my life - sooo fake looking - but carefully used these look entirely natural to me. And I'd never heard of them before, hence why I got so excited. (It's obvious, really, since there are now textures for just about everything including clouds, but it never even occurred to me to add it when needed!)
www.tednghiem.com
Spot metering will give you the most control. I actually never switch out of that mode. Mainly shooting lifestyle/PJ work, I'm always entering different lighting environments, so I feel this mode gives you the most creative control for light.
That's really strange. So when you look through the view finder with sunflare shots, you just see haze? If you snap a shot, does it show up find when you view through live view? I'm able to see the flare without a problem. A quick solution would be to shoot in live view for flare to see how the shot would look, give it the okay, switch off live view, and recompose/shoot the shot as you normally would. If I were you, I'd go get it serviced for a cleaning and see if they can fix that for you. It will make your life a LOT eaiser
Tried googling.. and my results were not all that great.
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(missed this response Ted - sorry!)
Nooooooo............. Would be easy to do that (new toys!!) but I promise to be tasteful and restrained. And ALWAYS try to get it in camera first