What is this spot on my photo?

[NicoleScraps]

Not sure which area of the forum to put this in. I hope this spot is okay.
I was taking a bunch of photos of my kids today. When I took them off the camera and started looking at them on the computer, I noticed that a bunch of them had this spot on them
See kind of dead center right about the fence?


Here is a tight crop of just that area


This was taken at about 3 in the afternoon, the sun was to the right of this photo. I telling you this, but I am not sure if this spot was actually created by the sun. I hope to goodness that I don't have something wrong with the lens or the camera. I just got the thing not two months ago and I have been super careful with it. I did inspect the outside of the lens thinking it might have been caused by a finger print, but it was clean. I actually bought those clear filter things to put on the ends of my lenses so that they wouldn't get damaged.
Not sure if the data is helpful, but here it is, just in case.
f/7.1 ISO 200 1/200 sec
Any idea what this is? What caused it? Etc.
Thanks so much!

[zona5101]

it appears to be sun flare. No worries, nothing wrong with your camera.

[OsmosisStudios]

That's lens flare. You probably had a speck of dust on the front of your lens that caught the sun, creating the circle. Check the front of the lens

[NicoleScraps]

WOW! A speck of dust can cause that? I definitely do have a little dust on my lens. I bought one of those dust free clothes at the camera store and it is basically worthless. It just pushes the dust around on the lens but doesn't actually pick it up. I guess I need to go back and see what else they have.

[Old World Imaging]

Hi Nicole. I just joined today and as I was looknig over the site I read your notes. I had the same problem with dust and the photo store wanted to sell me a special brush for $14.95. I bought the same thing at Wal Mart from the cosmetic counter for $3.50. Its a brush that you ladies use to put on makeup. Its soft and will pick up dust very well...easy to carry in your camera bag. Try it...hope this helps.

Craig

[Jim Bryant]

Sun glare. One of the best brushes I'v ever used is one of those shaving brushes you get at a drug store used in a men's shaving mug.

[mad editor]

Looks like a ghost. :-)

[candleman]

Originally Posted by mad editor

Looks like a ghost. :-)

* gasp * !!! lol


Thanks Jim and "Old World" i'll try one of those...!!

[NicoleScraps]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to pick up a brush next time I am at the drug store.