is there anything I can do?

[Aussie Nan]

Hi all, I'm using a Sony DSCW5, which is more a point and shoot camera. Am I trying to get the impossible out of this little device, or is there a way around the 'halo' and extra 'mini sun' in the attached sunset shot.

I got it in auto mode with flash turned off, I got it in the candlelight setting (which has no flash), and I got it in the twilight setting. I also played with ISO and EV in the P mode, but that wasn't successful either. The funny thing is, not all my images have them, just most of them:).

I'm not very technical with cameras at this stage. I didn't realise when I bought my little P&S that I would suddenly develop an interest in photography. Am looking at upgrading in the future, but in the meantime....

Any suggestions would be really appreciated

Toni

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1gHOMNfVP0DYLmZuvKVxejP4FuVrg_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1gHOMNfVP0DYLmZuvKVxejP4FuVrg)

[nu2scene]

Hi Toni. I'm very new to Elements. I just got it this week, so I don't have enough knowledge to tell you how to do this. But what that mini sun is, is lens flare. When you point your camera toward the sun or any light source, you can get flare like that. Different cameras and different lenses will give you different amounts and types of flare. But it happens often.

I'm sure someone else with Elements experience will tell you how to clean that up. But you can try to clone out the little bit of flare, and it'll make the pic much better.

In the future when you shoot see if you can block some of the light that's landing onto your lens. Maybe with you hand or something. Try to shade it and you might get less lens flare, and your pics will also have much more contrast and snap to them as well.

[Aussie Nan]

Thanks for the response Rob. I was sort of hoping I would learn how to avoid it in first place rather than clean it up:):)

I will try your shading idea next time and see how it goes.

cheers

[lexcell]

If you have a lens shade for your camera, use it. It really helps to avoid flare. If you are shooting right into the sun the shade won't help.
Remove any filters you may have on if you are shooting directly into the sun, that will eliminate the light bouncing between the glass and adding to the problem.
Finally, if you can, find a shady spot to shoot from to help avoid light falling on the lens.

[Aussie Nan]

Thanks Laurie. I don't have a lens shade or any filters on this camera. Just wondering......what if I hold a black umbrella over the camera whilst shooting. I suppose if I'm shooting 'at' the setting sun this wouldn't really help huh?
Toni

[H2O Junkie]

Nan,

Each camera creates lens flare differently. P&S cameras are a little more difficult to eliminate it with. If it has lens threads you could put it on a tripod and use a circular polarizer. That would alter the angle of the light hitting the first optical glass and may get rid of it. If not, the only other suggestion has already been made. Change your angle relative to the light causing the offending glare. A simple turn of the body slightly or change of camera angle may have quickly eliminated the flare. To avoid it in the future requires you to be vigilant now that you know about it. You are clearly looking to achieve just that and will learn from it and probably not repeat it now that you know what caused it.

[Aussie Nan]

Thanks H2O, I will continue practicing with my P&S until I can upgrade. Will try the methods suggested here and see how I go. The thing is remembering what I did - I usually take about 50 shots in one sitting and play with the camera a lot whilst doing it.:)

[Juergen D]

Back to the original question, the flare clones out quite easily. On a new layer clone with a soft brush, fairly large, 70px, and it looks great. So, even if you can't avoid the flare, there is an easy fix. Nice shot!

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1BdfZjeBHknU58PsJAbxQXzQ26UY0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1BdfZjeBHknU58PsJAbxQXzQ26UY0)

Juergen

[nu2scene]

Nice job Juergen. Looks great.

[TonyW]

The funny thing is that some people like to have Lens Flare and PSE provides a filter that adds it. So if you have it you want to get rid of it and if you dan't have it you want to add it :).

Nice job Juergen - going to have to see what using the lens flare filter on that image does :D

Tony

[Aussie Nan]

Yes, good job Jeurgen. The lens flare is one thing, but I don't like the halo effect around the sun in my image much either. Now there's a challenge........:)

And Tony.....ever heard of the grass being greener........:D You are hundred percent correct though, I sometimes look at effects tutorials and think 'why would anyone want to do this to a perfectly good image'.

Toni

[H2O Junkie]

One of the things I like though is that Nan is seeking to eliminate it when she shoots the photo. I strive to minimize pp anyway I can. Sometimes (very rarely) I shoot photos for the sole purpose of pp. But for me, photos shot for the image save me a lot of time if I shoot them as I want them on site. It is easy to fix in pp, but easier to fix in the camera before you get to pp. I have tools at my disposal for problem photos, but I am a firm believer in better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. My goal is to not use them. :)

[Juergen D]

pp... ?

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1SXxvJZv7GO47qTBTVbTcfOxtYPGjN_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1SXxvJZv7GO47qTBTVbTcfOxtYPGjN)

:)
Juergen

[Aussie Nan]

Jeurgen you ROCK! Now, how did you do it?:confused: And forgive my ignorance, but what does pp stand for?
Toni

[Juergen D]

...but what does pp stand for?
That is what I was trying to find out...

As far as the picture goes, I *cheated*. I tried last night to adjust the lighting around the sun and gave up. So, this morning I decided to just select the area of the horizon to the left, placed it on its own layer and moved it over the sun.
Next I selected the sun by itself (himself?) and put it on its own layer, atop of the one I did of the horizon.

There was and still is some problem with the brightness, but I played around with the Dodge Tool and did some cloning to blend things together.

I'm glad you like it. Thanks.

Juergen

[H2O Junkie]

Jeurgen you ROCK! Now, how did you do it?:confused: And forgive my ignorance, but what does pp stand for?
Toni

Pre-processing.

[Aussie Nan]

Ahaah, why didn't I clue on to that? :D
Toni