Get the Flare Out?

[jon_flanders]

Anyone have ideas about how to reduce the flare in my favorite GSN?

It pretty much shows up any time its pointed towards the sun, and I do have a hood.

Here's an example hot off the scanner. Composer Mary Jane Leach, in a shot I really like except for the damned flare.

 

[RichardS]

What flare are you talking about? The light showing in the background windows or the light on the sheets of music?

Dick

 

[bmattock]

Could that be a light leak? Doesn't look like flare to me.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Hektor]

Well, judging by the "look" of the picture I'm wondering if the film is out of date, it seems a bit flat and muddy to me but it might be a scanning problem.

The subject content and composition are excellent, - it's a very satifying picture,

But, there is a peculiar whitish patch above the subjects head. I don't think it's a light leak because they usually show up red, at least I think so, but I'm not certain. I suspect it is an internal reflection from the camera interior between the lens and the film. Have a look inside and see if you can spot a bright edge or something with the black paint off.

 

[RObert Budding]

I had flare problems with both my 85mm and 135mm Zeiss Sonnars, even with hoods. I put B&W MRC skylight filters on them and it really helped.

Robert

 

[Mister_Hat]

I looks more like a light leak to me, too. You might want to check the condition of the foam.

 

[jon_flanders]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check the foam for light leaks and maybe another filter might help. Also looking for something missing blacking around the lens. I was talking about the light above her head, not the sheet music glare.

I don't think that film was out of date, other shots were OK.

 

[jon_flanders]

I took a hard look at the camera, I found a need for cleaning of the skylight filter, a line of brassing on the filter ring that I blacked out, and I think that the lens hood should be replaced with a smaller diameter hood. We shall see if that helps.

I think that the seals are OK.

 

[jon_flanders]

One other question, I use The GIMP for photo editing. Any suggestions as how to fix flare with an editing tool?

 

[derevaun]

If your version has dodge and burn, the latter (or is it the former?) will darken the pixels under a brush stroke. I'd use a wide brush (like a little more than the width of the flare) with a high Fade Out value (like 1/3 the brush width) for starters.

 

[oftheherd]

I'm going with flare. You have another flare just to her right. You can follow the light back along the tops of the benches. The same for the more troublesome one directly over her. You can see it on the closest bench, or whatever that is.

I think you just had a bad lighting situation there. What light sources you had were strong, but there wasn't much on her and the piano, except for on the sheet musicl. Bad light. I assume you have done the obvious and checked both the front and rear
elements of your lens for dirt or smudges?

It is more difficult with a rangefinder, but sometimes when I am using an SLR I use my hand or a hat to block out the sun. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do but post process. That really is a nice photo. No wonder you like it.