Ever since discovering the unique flare this vintage lens gives me, I've been working to improve my ability to incorporate it in night photos. What do you all like about this and how do you think I could improve? The question applies to both the photograph as a whole and specifically the use of this flare.
I'm using a Canon 5D classic with a Makinon 28mm f/2.8 lens. As I'm purposefully not using flash, I have a very narrow working window of settings to get the night shots with available street light.
Hi. I think you have a good idea there with incorporating the flares into your photographs. In this particular case, the person in the image is somewhat "lost", i.e. I would try to pose the person instead of just walking through the frame (motion blur). I think you would do great if you could find a composition in which the flares act as an ornament to the rest of the image. Maybe try out modern architecture with their winding structures or their angular structures. They also have many highlights which would be good in creating the flares. Keep on keeping on and good luck (and post some more to see what you have come up with).
Thanks for the tips. I'll say that this was the look I was going for and I stand by it, but I am always looking for new challenges and creative ways to make photos. This would really be a challenge as I have to be very particular about positioning the point light, and getting a well-formed flare might mean that my composition on the building is terrible. Definitely going to try it.
Attached here are two photos that I'm not entirely happy with, but they are examples of other uses of the same lens flare. One uses the flare as a sort of beam to point to my subject, and in the other case I can make the flare into a halo.
Hey Matt, I did the same thing not long ago, same lens.
Just keep experimenting.