Sunbeams against the light...how similar

Beef · 2008-12-05T13:36:22+00:00

Hi Ich hab jetzt schon öfters Bilder gesehen, bei denen die Sonnenstrahlen richtig über das Bild gezeichnet sind. Kann mir mal jemand Tipps dazu geben, wie...

Beef

Hi I’ve seen quite a few pictures where the sun’s rays are actually drawn across the image. Can anyone give me some tips on how to do this properly? I’ve tried a few things, but the sun just ends up as a bright spot with no rays :rolleyes: Here’s an example from one of my photography books, so you can get an idea of what I mean: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND] I thought that perhaps you could achieve this with fog. However, I’ve seen pictures like this where there’s definitely no fog at all :lol: Regards, Andi

Wolfgg

Hi Andi, Just close the aperture as much as possible, and if that’s not enough, there are star filters available from Cokin and other brands. Best regards, Wolfgang

Beef

Hi Wolfgang, Thanks for your reply. I had a look on Google Images for ‘star filter’... looks very promising. I think that’s exactly what I was looking for :rolleyes: Best regards, Andi

Beef

Well... I’ve taken a few test shots today based on your tip. I’ve stopped down the aperture as far as it’ll go (f/22). Here’s the result: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][attachment=73:Bild1_0 07.jpg] In order: 1/250s - 1/500s - 1/1000s (1/500s was determined by the camera) And here’s another one: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND] In order: 1/500s - 1/2000s As you can see, there are no sunbeams (or perhaps just a tiny bit) :rolleyes: Does anyone here have any other tips? It has to work without a star filter... I’ve seen that in lots of photos already. You can see that clearly in the photo from my first post in this thread (that’s definitely not a star filter). Regards Andi

Wolfgg

Hello Andi, In the example image in the first post, three factors are at play: 1) The area behind the tree (i.e. in front of the camera) is only dimly lit 2) Sunlight penetrates the tree’s foliage in the form of beams 3) The mist scatters the light strongly, making the beams clearly visible You can achieve a similar effect, albeit to a lesser extent, even with just a few droplets in the air – which you wouldn’t yet perceive as mist. To check the effect that can be achieved with this technique, you don’t need to take a photo; with an SLR, simply looking through the focusing screen is enough. For example, close the aperture fully and look through the viewfinder. The effect achievable with the aperture (= diffraction at the blades) is limited and requires a polygonal aperture (e.g. pentagonal) and, above all, an unobscured sun (no clouds in front of it, as in the last pictures). I never use aids such as star filters, because they distort the result just as much – creating a false impression of reality – as if someone were enhancing their photos using image editing software. Regards, Wolfgang

britteln

Hi Andi! There’s no sunlight. So it’s going to be tricky to conjure up those rays. Hold off on the project until spring. (Or head for the mountains). With a bit of cloud cover, you’re bound to get some good shots! Best wishes, britteln

Well... I’ve taken a few test shots today based on your tip. I’ve closed the aperture as far as it’ll go (f/22). Here’s the result: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][attachment=73:Bild1_0 07.jpg] In order: 1/250s - 1/500s - 1/1000s (1/500s was determined by the camera) And here’s another one: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND][ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND] In order: 1/500s - 1/2000s As you can see, there’s no sign of sunbeams (or perhaps just a tiny bit) :lol: Does anyone here have any other tips? It has to work without a star filter... I’ve seen that in lots of photos already. You can see that clearly in the picture from my first post in this thread (that’s definitely not a star filter). Regards Andi