secrets for lens flare?

[sparks84]

any tips on creating beautiful lens flare??

[OsmosisStudios]

2 things: What for? And in what situation (outdoors, studio, etc)?

It's hard to control flare:it's lens dependent.

[bhursey]

Outside in the sun the smaller your aperture like f8- f22 the more defined the flare will be.. Because not to blind your self like I almost did this week.. Its not advised to look at the sun either with or without a camera..

[LeeR]

Don't forget there is also a lens flare tool in PS that gives you total control over how and where it appears. Unlike lens flare in real life which is never quite predictable.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by LeeR

Don't forget there is also a lens flare tool in PS that gives you total control over how and where it appears. Unlike lens flare in real life which is never quite predictable.

Wheres the fun in that?

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by bhursey

Wheres the fun in that?

LOL, not only that, but fake sunflare looks, well, fake, unless you read the light correctly and see exactly where it's coming from and know how to do it realistically.

To the OP: depends on the type of sunflare you are looking for. Are you looking for a starburst sun effect, or the sunflare circles and haze you get when backlighting? An example or two would be helpful. If you see an image somewhere that shows the effect you're looking for, can you post the link here?