Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

Add a sparkle to the highlights in your images

Use starbursts and bokeh

If you have been around for a while, you’ll

probably remember a time when using

filter effects were all the rage. The good-old

starburst was one of them – a filter that

turned every point source of light in a scene

into a twinkling star.

The good news is you don’t actually need

a filter to create starburst effects – you can

do it using your lens aperture. All you need to

do is include a really bright light source in the

shot – the sun is the best one – then partially

obscure it behind a feature in the scene so it’s

not too intense, and fire away. Small apertures

work best – f11, f16, f22 – as they produce

more pronounced lines in the star. Misty

weather can help to create and emphasise

starburst effects too. Head into woodland on a

misty morning and capture the sun rising and

shining through the trees. Even wide apertures,

such as f5.6, will give you striking starburst if

the conditions are right.

Opening your aperture right up allows you

to experiment with bokeh effects. The word

‘bokeh’ comes from the Japanese for ‘blur’

and basically refers to the way out-of-focus

highlights are rendered in an image. To get

good bokeh you need to shoot at apertures of

f2.8 or wider. A prime 50mm is ideal, or use a

prime macro lens or a fast telezoom such as a

70-200mm f2.8. You also need a background

that contains specular highlights – sun shining

through trees, streetlights at night, sunlight

reflecting on water, that kind of thing.

Lights in the foreground works well too – try

holding a bunch of fairy lights in front of the

lens and shooting through them. DP

Left

Happy accident

The highlights in this twilight sky

were created by raindrops on the

lens that caused flare

Above

Setting sun

stop your lens down to f16 or f22

and turn the sun and other bright

highlights into twinkling stars

Top

Let there be light

sunlight bursting through misty

woodland created this stunning

starburst effect

10

Techniques

Addasparkletothehighlightsinyourimages

Use starbursts and bokeh

Ifyouhavebeenaroundforawhile,you’ll
probablyrememberatimewhenusing
filtereffectswerealltherage.Thegood-old
starburstwasoneofthem–afilterthat
turnedeverypointsourceoflightinascene
intoatwinklingstar.
Thegoodnewsisyoudon’tactuallyneed
afiltertocreatestarbursteffects–youcan
doitusingyourlensaperture.Allyouneedto
doisincludeareallybrightlightsourceinthe
shot–thesunisthebestone–thenpartially
obscureitbehindafeatureinthescenesoit’s

nottoointense,andfireaway.Smallapertures

workbest–f11,f16,f22–astheyproduce

morepronouncedlinesinthestar.Misty

weathercanhelptocreateandemphasise

starbursteffectstoo.Headintowoodlandona

mistymorningandcapturethesunrisingand

shiningthroughthetrees.Evenwideapertures,

suchasf5.6,willgiveyoustrikingstarburstif

theconditionsareright.

Openingyouraperturerightupallowsyou

toexperimentwithbokeheffects.Theword

‘bokeh’comesfromtheJapanesefor‘blur’

andbasicallyreferstothewayout-of-focus

highlightsarerenderedinanimage.To get

goodbokehyouneedtoshootatapertures of

f2.8orwider.Aprime50mmisideal,or use a

primemacrolensorafasttelezoomsuch as a

70-200mmf2.8.Youalsoneedabackground

thatcontainsspecularhighlights–sun shining

throughtrees,streetlightsatnight,sunlight

reflectingonwater,thatkindofthing.

Lightsintheforegroundworkswelltoo – try

holdingabunchoffairylightsinfrontof the

lensandshootingthroughthem.DP

Left

Happyaccident

Thehighlightsinthistwilightsky

werecreatedbyraindropsonthe

lensthatcausedflare

Above

Settingsun

stopyourlensdowntof16orf22

andturnthesunandotherbright

highlightsintotwinklingstars

Top

Lettherebelight

sunlight bursting through misty

woodland created this stunning

starburst effect

10

Techniques