Point your camera towards the harsh Highveld summer sun and the result can be a frame washed out with haze, dotted with coloured shapes or split between pure white and solid black. If you are new to photography, it is easy to assume something is wrong with your camera. In most cases, though, these effects are not faults at all but natural results of how lenses and sensors handle light. This guide explains what causes lens flare, ghosting and related effects, how to control them and how to use them to your advantage.
A photograph that uses ghosting creatively
Lens flare and other effects that change image quality
The way cameras and lenses handle light can produce effects you did not intend. The most common are:
• Lens flare, where strong light washes out the image and lowers contrast
• Ghosting, where rings, ovals or aperture-shaped spots of light appear in the frame
• Vignetting, where the corners of the image turn darker than the centre
• Blown-out
