Tuesday, July 26, 2005

They're lens flares, people! Lens flares!
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2 comments:

Kyle said...

Hey Mac -

To be perfectly precise, most of the images cited are not lens flares, but light flares.

A lens flare is when light (usually a strong source like a light fixture or Sun or Moon) gets reflected off the interior of the camera, and reflects back to and off the rear of the lens onto the film or sensor. There is no real object in the image.

Most of these orb and filament shots are light flares caused by a very intense "flash" reflecting off an object VERY close to the front of the lens...just far enough away for the flash to illuminate it. These images do capture a real object...but bathed in an unreal amount of light for the distance from the lens.

I think a couple qualify as true lens flare, but the rest are light flares.

I only note the distinction because the causes are totally different, and the images resulting are also totally different. I think the difference is important for those who try to analyze such photos.

And to prevent believers from dismissing your argument on the basis of one or two images that might not be lens flare.

Ts crossed and Is dotted, and all that.

Best,

Kyle

9:52 PM
Mac said...

Thanks, Kyle. You're very correct. In the case of "orbs," the illuminated objects are typically specks of dust.

9:55 PM

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