Lens Flare
Streaks, star shapes and circles of light that appear in the image when a bright source like the sun or a lamp shines straight into the lens. They come from light bouncing between the glass elements inside the lens. Originally a flaw to avoid, it is sometimes used on purpose for dramatic effect. It appears when the light source is in frame or just outside it, hitting the front glass, and its shape varies by lens: anamorphic lenses make long horizontal flares.
How it feels
- Dramatic
- Dazzle
- Cinematic
- Warmth
- Being there
When to use it
- Silhouettes against the light as the sun sets on the horizon
- A train’s headlights approaching through fog
- Bringing life to a cold set, like the inside of a spaceship in a sci-fi film
- A character with their back to the sun at golden hour
In the movies
Star Trek 2009
According to an American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) article, the Enterprise set lights were aimed toward the lens to make flares a visual motif across the whole film, and when that was not enough, a flashlight was shone into the lens during takes.
Not to be confused with
- Bokeh
- Bokeh is out-of-focus points of light blurred; a flare is a pattern made by light reflecting inside the lens.
- Volumetric Light
- Volumetric light is beams made visible as light hits fog or dust in the air. A flare is a reflection inside the lens.
- Backlight / Rim Light
- Backlight is the position of a light shining from behind the subject; a flare is the effect when that light enters the lens directly.
Prompt
lens flare
Backlit by the low sun, a warm cinematic lens flare streaks across the frame behind the subject.
Try these combinations
Wide shot + silhouette + flare: two people at sunset
Wide shot, cinematic lens flare as the sun dips below the horizon behind a silhouetted couple
Low angle + flare: train lights in the fog
Low-angle shot, train headlights flare softly through mist on a night platform