This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
It's not often that I can make lens flare work for me, but when it does, I think it really does. With more practice, hopefully I can turn shots like this from happy accidents to fully intentional creative uses of lens flare. This photo was taken on August 23, 2011 in the Pacific Palisades, in the hills above Malibu. The only editing was some small brightness/contrast tweaks.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XTi
Lens: EF-S18-55
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ISO 100, 18mm, f/22, 1/80sec.