Overview

Flare has made a comeback, but not in the way you might think. What was traditionally seen as a lens imperfection is now a creative element. Flare can be used to add drama to your images or create ethereal effects. There are different ways to achieve flare, ranging from vintage lenses like the Helios 44-2 to the Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System. Each method produces a different type of flare, such as ghosting or starburst.

When you're outdoors, flare can occur due to the sun during the day or artificial lighting at night. In more controlled environments, such as a studio, flare can be created by positioning your light source just right. Rather than using your key light to create flare, you can use a pocket light! Our most popular handheld LED light is the Prizmo Pocket. This RGBW+T LED light is the size of your phone and adds a pop of color when needed. That’s what we used to add colorful flare to our setup. In this demonstration, we didn’t rely on a lens prone to flare; instead, we used the Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System. The flare was produced by crystal prisms in front of the lens, illuminated by our Prizmo Pocket.

The Setup

Lighting

For this demonstration, we lit our subject using the Fotodiox Pro FlapJack C-700RSV bi-color edgelight. We positioned the light at a 25° angle from the subject, tilted at 45°. This is our go-to solution for one-light setups, as it creates intense, dramatic shadows. The FlapJack's convenient NP-F battery power eliminated the need for cables which allowed us to have a clutter-free shoot.

Background

For the background, we used a 10x20' gray muslin cloth. Instead of hanging it flat, we tied one corner of the bottom to the top to create a ruffle, adding texture that, in our opinion, enhances the mood of the image. The remaining corner was tied to the opposite end, covering the original background (our iconic flower wall).

Lens & Camera

To capture a vintage aesthetic we opted to use the FUJIFILM X-E1 with the FUJINON 56mm F1.2 APD lens. We applied a FUJI X WEEKLY Superia 400 recipe, as it produces beautifully crisp shadows.

Omni Creative Filter System

This summer, we had the opportunity to explore Lensbaby's versatile creative filter expansion pack for the Omni Creative Filter System. This step-ring-based system allows for easy attachment of various filter wands, and the included extension arms provide hands-free control. We used the standard crystal prism filter wands to introduce flare effects into our image.

Prizmo Pocket RGBW+T LED Light

This is one of our favorite LED lights because it’s portable and bright! We used it to add a moody and colorful flare effect, in-camera.