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How do you get the sparkle?

19 years ago

Well, as you can tell from my recent postings, we've had some ice storms of late. While I enjoyed many of the images I captured, I found it difficult to get the brilliant sparkle of sun glinting on ice.

I am not a trained photographer. Usually I am about as good as my digital camera software, awareness of lighting and picture framing allow. I keep an eye on lighting and generally avoid shooting into the sun except when I want a back lit effect. Of course, the brightest"sparkle" off of ice often comes from lining up into the sun. Some of my photos with that angle were ok, especially if edited a bit, but, still far from the beauty my eye took in.

So, how do real photographers get that sparkle?

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Comments (4)

firewire800
19 years ago
The key is backlighting. You want the ice between you and the light source. You have to shoot into or towards the sun.

This is tricky and so you need to consider the following:

LENS SHADE -- shooting into a light source is begging for flare. A lens shade can make the difference between a great shot and a failure.

EXPOSURE -- no telling how your camera's meter is going to handle this except to say that it'll get it wrong. Typically internal camera meters will underexpose backlighting, but the ice will complicate this. So bracket -- take the photo over an exposure range. It's easiest to use the +/- exposure control on your camera. Take at least four exposures in 1/3 stop increments.

{{!gwi}}
rcnaylor
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks Firewire. I was beginning to get the idea from trial and error about the "lens shade" though I didn't know they made such a thing. I appreciate the detailed advice.

Nice illustration photo.
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juanital
19 years ago
Wow, that's an awesome pic, Firewire!
and what an excellent question Rc...

I've tried many times to catch the sparkles and seem to just make it seem flat. I get a ray of sunlight which looks sharp and strait, like perhaps a beam coming in on the sparkles and the sparkles are there but can't edit the beam softer and naturally as I see it...Would the same idea work for after rain,too?
juanital
19 years ago
Here's one I tried...Even editing didn't catch the morning heavy frost as I saw it, at the same time I was trying to catch the shadows...Do you see that sun ray coming in off of the right?...

{{!gwi}}

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