How to Get Rainbow Lens Flares

Rainbow lens flares can result from a light source entering from the side or directly into lens.

In most cases, lens flares are aberrations that photographers try to avoid by using lens hoods. However, in some cases added rainbow colored lens flares to your image can add to the overall effect of the picture. Lens flares are created when light from the sun or other source enters the lens from the side. The light travels across the front of the lens and creates different shades of color that you find in a rainbow.

Instructions

1. Remove any lens hood that may be attached to the front of your camera lens. For this to work correctly you should also remove any filters from the front of your lens including the UV (Ultra Violet Light) filter that is typically used as protection. You want all the different light in the color spectrum entering your lens.

2. Hold the camera to your eye, compose the picture to your satisfaction and gradually adjust the camera position until the light source is entering from the side of the lens. For best results this shot should be tried early in the morning or later in the day, when the sun is low in the sky.

3. Observe the scene through your viewfinder. As light starts to enter the lens the picture will start appear brighter, and at the right point you will see small flares of different colored circles appear in the image. Press the shutter release to take the picture when you achieve the amount of flares in your viewfinder that you want.

References

• Cambridge in Color: Understanding Lens Flares