What causes this?

[skyphix]

Well, I assume that this is flare. I didn't have a filter on the lens and I didn't see any other lights to affect the shot but it was a fairly long shot so I may have dozed off while I was waiting.

If I had a better lens (17-40L?) would this still have happened? I was only using the kit lens - its the only wide angle I've got and was what I had on my camera. Would a hood have even helped this? IT doesnt seem so since the light was so direct but Im probably wrong.

I know the technics of this photo arent that good - bad background ,etc. I was just testing my knew remote release and tripod :)

Here's the photo.
http://non.skyphix.com/2005/Things/BadNightShot.jpg

[Titus213]

If it was my picture it would have been caused by the mail getting delivered after dark and my unwillingness to wait until morning to try my new toy.....:lol:

My technical vote is flare but I don't know from nuthin.

[robertwgross]

With a bright light like that in the frame, flare is almost unavoidable.

---Bob Gross---

[PacAce]

Well, I assume that this is flare. I didn't have a filter on the lens and I didn't see any other lights to affect the shot but it was a fairly long shot so I may have dozed off while I was waiting.

If I had a better lens (17-40L?) would this still have happened? I was only using the kit lens - its the only wide angle I've got and was what I had on my camera. Would a hood have even helped this? IT doesnt seem so since the light was so direct but Im probably wrong.

I know the technics of this photo arent that good - bad background ,etc. I was just testing my knew remote release and tripod :)

Here's the photo.
Yes, that's flare and it was caused by the bright headlights of the car in front of the camera. And, yes, even the 17-40L would have succumbed to such an effect with such bright lights in front of it. And, no, a hood would not have helped. The only solution would have been to either turn off the headlights of the car in front of you or point the camera elsewhere away from teh bright headlights.

[skyphix]

Thats sort of what I though... thanks for everyones comments :)

How do those who take photos of cars with their lights on at night accomplish this without flare?

This was just a quick 5 minute setup as I said... but I guess maybe just the parking lights would've given me the impact and maybe I would've properly exposed the car too :D Thanks again.

[PacAce]

Thats sort of what I though... thanks for everyones comments :)

How do those who take photos of cars with their lights on at night accomplish this without flare?

This was just a quick 5 minute setup as I said... but I guess maybe just the parking lights would've given me the impact and maybe I would've properly exposed the car too :D Thanks again.
Although I can't give you the specifics, there are correlationships between the position of the brlight lights in the image, the direction the lens is pointed and where the flare appears in the image. If you can control the position of the lights, the camera and where the camera is pointed, you can pretty much control where the flare is going to show up and position it such that they are either outside the image area or positioned such that they can get cropped out. But for impromptu (unstaged) shots, they may just be photoshoped out of the picture, too. :)

[skyphix]

Thats what I figured - I think if I had taken two steps to the right it would've been off the screen. I think maybe if I had taken the photo somewhere that had some overhead lights it may have cut down on it as well.

Thanks again :)

[Robert_Lay]

Wow, would I be correct in thinking that you are seeing each interface of a 5 element lens?
Don't often see such a classic example of flare.

[MrGibbage]

If you look just to the right of the tail light, you can see another set of lens flares.

[Loki1117]

Although I don't disagree with it being a lens flare I think more accurately it is the light bouncing off the sensor (rather than just the lens elements themselves), back through the lens to each element and back to the sensor. According to an article I read the digital line of lenses (yes, those dreaded EF-S lenses) that companies make for their DSLR's are supposed to have an anti reflective coating on the back side of each element to help prevent this type of flaring.

The reason I point out this difference, is that all the lens flare effects I have seen tend to have the same shape as the light soure being recorded, as can be seen just to the left of the passenger side head lamp. The flares on the right side of the picture though are distinctly different, actually they look like the lens shapes themselves.

[skyphix]

This is interesting stuff. I guess there is more to flare than meets the eye.

[jfrancho]

This is interesting stuff. I guess there is more to flare than meets the eye.I've seen many interesting pictures that use lens flare as a positive element in the composition. You may like to experiment with different angles, and see if you can make it work. Here one of mine: http://plan-b.smugmug.com/photos/35203953-S.jpg

[skyphix]

It does, indeed, work in your photo.

I will play around some more as I get more time to fool in my parking lot. It didn't appear in the photo that I underexposed (exposed for the headlights).

[jfrancho]

Thanks for compliment. Don't be afraid to let the headlights blowout on a few, you might get an interesting shot. I don't worry about light sources blowing out, unless they are colored. If the headlights are clipped, they appear white anyway. I do like the way they appear in your photo, though.

[Hellashot]

Lens flare. Direct light on glass no matter if it's a filter or a lens will cause it.

[SWPhotoImaging]

The heck with the flare, is that Tempest, Lemans or a GTO convertible?