How do you deal with lens flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberration in your film photography?

1 What is lens flare?

Lens flare is the bright or colorful streaks, circles, or polygons that appear in your image when a strong light source, such as the sun, hits your lens directly or indirectly. Lens flare can reduce the contrast, saturation, and sharpness of your image, and sometimes create unwanted shapes or patterns. Lens flare can be caused by the reflection and refraction of light within your lens elements, or by the scattering of light by dust, dirt, or scratches on your lens or filter.

2 How to prevent or reduce lens flare?

The best way to prevent or reduce lens flare is to avoid shooting directly into the sun or other bright light sources. You can also use a lens hood, which is a device that attaches to the front of your lens and blocks stray light from entering your lens. A lens hood can also protect your lens from physical damage and moisture. Another option is to use a polarizing filter, which is a type of filter that reduces glare and reflections from non-metallic surfaces, such as water, glass, or sky. A polarizing filter can also enhance the colors and contrast of your image.

3 What is ghosting?

Ghosting is the faint or blurry duplicate image that appears in your image when a strong light source, such as the sun, reflects off your film or the back of your lens. Ghosting can create unwanted artifacts or distortions in your image, such as double edges, halos, or shadows. Ghosting can be caused by the reflection of light from your film back to your lens, or by the reflection of light from your lens back to your film. Ghosting can also be affected by the angle and position of your light source and your lens.

4 How to prevent or reduce ghosting?

The best way to prevent or reduce ghosting is to use a lens with multi-coating, which is a type of coating that reduces the reflection and transmission of light within your lens elements. A multi-coated lens can also improve the contrast, clarity, and color of your image. Another option is to use a black and white film, which is less reflective than a color film, and therefore less prone to ghosting. A black and white film can also create a more dramatic and artistic effect in your image.

5 What is chromatic aberration?

Chromatic aberration is the color fringing or distortion that appears in your image when your lens fails to focus all the wavelengths of light onto the same point on your film. Chromatic aberration can reduce the sharpness, detail, and accuracy of your image, and sometimes create unwanted color shifts or hues. Chromatic aberration can be caused by the dispersion of light within your lens elements, or by the curvature of your lens or film. Chromatic aberration can also be affected by the aperture, focal length, and distance of your lens.

6 How to prevent or reduce chromatic aberration?

The best way to prevent or reduce chromatic aberration is to use a lens with low dispersion, which is a type of glass that minimizes the dispersion of light within your lens elements. A low dispersion lens can also improve the resolution, contrast, and color of your image. Another option is to use a smaller aperture, which is the opening that controls the amount of light that enters your lens. A smaller aperture can reduce the amount of light that passes through the edges of your lens, where chromatic aberration is more likely to occur.