Interesting little oddity on camera today.

We had some very unique cloud patterns today in our area and as I like to do on days like this I go out and take photos. This was taken around 2 or 3 this afternoon. I was going for the rainbow coloring in the leading edges of the clouds closet to the sun. I took the pictures and then didn't look at them again till this evening on the laptop.

Pic 1

This is the full size image. I shoot in RAW format so all thats been done to it was being ran thru the CS RAW editor and it was then converted to a jpg.

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

Pic 2
Oddity as been isolated and enlarged.

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

So I don't know what this little white ball is. To me it doesn't fit the usual suspects (chinese lantern, bird, bug, etc)

Apologies for the huge first picture. Apparently my definition of small and imageshacks are entirely different.

Classic lens flare.

See this example:


...as posted in this thread by 12voltz
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Yeah, agree with alpha...lens flare from the Sun directly above.

That's one TALL image btw.

I don't think its a lens flare. Look at the example you posted you can see glow around the lens flare. On this there isn't any distortion around the white ball that would lend itself to being a lens flare. Even in the close up there is no distortion of colors around you see with normal lens flares. Ya imageshack apparently doesn't do small images.

Originally posted by w810i
I don't think its a lens flare. Look at the example you posted you can see glow around the lens flare. On this there isn't any distortion around the white ball that would lend itself to being a lens flare. Even in the close up there is no distortion of colors around you see with normal lens flares.

The color, shape and glow that can be seen around lens flare depends of many factors, such as:
- camera diaphragm shape
- light source nature (color, brightness..)
- camera lens coating
etc....

One way to easily detect lens flare is to draw a line between the flare and the optical center of the photo and see if it passes on any light source:



Sometimes, the geometrical center of the photo does not coincide with its optical center, thus the non-perfect alignment of the light source and its flare; it's the case in your photo:



When there's no difference, all dimensions are perfectly preserved, suggesting that the reflections on flat surfaces are responsible. Otherwise (reflections on concave or convex surfaces), it may be possible to have some differences in geometric measurements; the optical center does not coincide then with the geometrical center.

Some examples of other lens flare with various colors, shapes, etc....:

reply to post by w810i


I am a photographer and in my opinion this is just another classic example of lens flare.
It actually couldn't look any MORE like lens flare if you tried.

Knowing how to use a camera, and what a "RAW" file is, how to use editing software like photoshop CS, and convert it to JPEG, and NOT being able to easily identify lens flare is somewhat perplexing to me.

reply to post by w810i

I don't think its a lens flare.

Why not?


Sure looks like one.

reply to post by w810i


Hi looks like lens flare to me as well oh and on here lots of members are photographers (hobby & professional)

Originally posted by GeneralChaos
reply to post by w810i

 

I am a photographer and in my opinion this is just another classic example of lens flare.
It actually couldn't look any MORE like lens flare if you tried.

Knowing how to use a camera, and what a "RAW" file is, how to use editing software like photoshop CS, and convert it to JPEG, and NOT being able to easily identify lens flare is somewhat perplexing to me.

My thoughts exactly!

I would be amazed if the op has never experienced lens flare before.