*The "star" effect is due to the blades of my aperture. Anytime you're aperture is closed down, bright lights (like the sun here) will appear like this. The more extreme your closure, the more extreme the effect. The points vary based on how many blades comprise your aperture. An even number gives you that many points (i.e. 6 blades equals 6 points), but an uneven number gives you twice the number (i.e. 7 blades (as in this example) yields 14 points). :)
@bjornert The "star" effect is created by the aperture alone, no filter needed :) When your aperture is closed down, bright lights begin to take on a star pattern depending on how many blades are in your aperture. In this case, I have 7 blades which creates 14 star points (because it's an uneven number). 6 blades would have created a 6-pointed star :)
Yes you do know about awesome. Such as this. I recently got a flare in a reflection that I was pretty pleased with, but mine was not a double job like this one. I'd need a different lens for that I think. Fav.
Great picture! I think that often of yours Aaron, but by the time I see them, you've already got so many comments I stay silent!
I suppose I could go onto Google and try to noodle this out, but it's so much easier to waste your time. :-) Technicaly, is this a form of flare? I thought flare was when light comes into the lens and "bounces." The aperture blades cause the star effect, but the light stays "focused," so I've always thought of it as distinct from flare.
@therubysusan Thanks Susan! The way I understand it, "flare" is created by reflections on your lens elements. You can see some in this photo around the sun in the sky, and the green patch in the reflected water. The form of the star (with the points) are directly from the light source, and with a small aperture (like f/22 in this shot), the light is being forced through the small opening. Since I only have 7 blades in this lens, the opening is not round at all so the light spikes on the corners made when the aperture closes down. This is less evident on a lens that has many blades (like 17) because the small aperture is still pretty circular. :)
I suppose I could go onto Google and try to noodle this out, but it's so much easier to waste your time. :-) Technicaly, is this a form of flare? I thought flare was when light comes into the lens and "bounces." The aperture blades cause the star effect, but the light stays "focused," so I've always thought of it as distinct from flare.