As a professional photographer and photoshop expert, I'd like to offer my opinion on what it is not, and what it might be.
What it is not:
In order for it to be flare, there has to be direct light pointing at the lens, this is what usually happens when we take pictures outside and the sun
is visible in the picture.
IT IS NOT FLARE.
Dust on the camera sensor looks like a black thin line or ball. It's not as transparent or large as what you see here.
IT IS NOT DUST.
It's not a flash reflection. Light from the flash needs to reflect off of a shiny surface. This is a transparent ball that is not reflecting off of
anything. Sometimes it's on a wall, sometimes her shirt, and you don't see the wall or the shirt reacting or reflecting anything, you just see this
ball on it.
IT IS NOT FLASH REFLECTION
What it might be:
If this is a manipulated or staged photo, I would suggest it was done via photoshop brushes. The ball is always the exact same image. Sometimes it
is large, sometimes small, sometimes more opaque than other times. And sometimes it has a twin. I can honestly do this easily on as many images as I
want, regardless of where they were taken, by making a photoshop brush of the image, and simply "dotting" the brush on any image wherever I want.
Adjustments to size or opacity can be done easily in the brush options.
Not saying this is what was done, because I would have to accuse the op of lying about seeing this ball in person.... just saying this could easily be
done via photoshop brushes if I wanted to fake it.
OP, if you are seeing this in person, and are able to take pictures of it anytime you want, go ahead and shoot a video next time and post it here.
Now I know videos can be faked as well, but this person chose to post images instead of a video, and if he/she is faking it, they may not have the
know how to replicate it on video too.
Just trying to offer up suggestions.
edit on 22-5-2011 by Under Water because: (no reason given)
edit on 22-5-2011 by Under
Water because: SPELLING