Sunstars and Sunbursts
In the days of film photography, one of the “rules” Kodak stressed that seemed to be set in stone was always to have the sun at your back. It was a real no-no to aim your camera into the sun.
One of the reasons was your subject was likely to be underexposed.
When you purchased a roll of film, in the box with it was an instruction sheet. It offered suggestions on exposure in various lighting conditions and tips of the best way to take a good photo. One of those suggestions was, yes, “Don’t photograph with you camera aimed at the sun.”
I’ve always been a bit contrary, and following rules wasn’t my favorite exercise.
With that said, I find myself taking photographs often into the sun.
A few of the reasons I often am aiming at the sun: I like to experiment and shooting into the sun often results in surprising, unexpected results; a photograph taken into the sun often results in cool sunbursts and sun stars. And I like silhouettes, which are often the result of a backlit subject.
Including the sun in your image also offers a really strong point of focus for the viewer’s eye. Put the sun behind your subject and the eye is immediately drawn to it.
Various lenses produce differing sunstars. A few of my favorites are the Voigtlander Super Wide-Heliar 15mm; the Meike fisheye and the Samyang 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye, which I use on a modified Hasselblad Xpan. Stopped down they produce fascinating multi-spiked stars.
I normally use Camera Raw when photographing scenes where I am including the sun. This allows me to adjust the wide contrast between areas that might be in shadow and the intense brightness of the sun, increasing the possibility of making the sunstar and it rays more visible.
Here are some examples of my pointing my camera lens at the sun. My apologies to Kodak.
One of the reasons was your subject was likely to be underexposed.
When you purchased a roll of film, in the box with it was an instruction sheet. It offered suggestions on exposure in various lighting conditions and tips of the best way to take a good photo. One of those suggestions was, yes, “Don’t photograph with you camera aimed at the sun.”
I’ve always been a bit contrary, and following rules wasn’t my favorite exercise.
With that said, I find myself taking photographs often into the sun.
A few of the reasons I often am aiming at the sun: I like to experiment and shooting into the sun often results in surprising, unexpected results; a photograph taken into the sun often results in cool sunbursts and sun stars. And I like silhouettes, which are often the result of a backlit subject.
Including the sun in your image also offers a really strong point of focus for the viewer’s eye. Put the sun behind your subject and the eye is immediately drawn to it.
Various lenses produce differing sunstars. A few of my favorites are the Voigtlander Super Wide-Heliar 15mm; the Meike fisheye and the Samyang 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye, which I use on a modified Hasselblad Xpan. Stopped down they produce fascinating multi-spiked stars.
I normally use Camera Raw when photographing scenes where I am including the sun. This allows me to adjust the wide contrast between areas that might be in shadow and the intense brightness of the sun, increasing the possibility of making the sunstar and it rays more visible.
Here are some examples of my pointing my camera lens at the sun. My apologies to Kodak.
Pelicans over San Diego beach
Cattle sale near Ghost Ranch in Northern New Mexico
Chama River overlook in the Abiquiu Valley, Northern New Mexico
Statue in Meow Wolf parking lot, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Abiquiu, New Mexico, Penitente morada taken with a Voigtlander 15mm lens
Alt Fashion parachute dresses
Boy about to do a backflip off park swing, Albuquerque, NM
Hotel construction, Albuquerque, NM, Old Town area
Chama River overlook taken with a modified Hasselblad Xpan and a Samyang 8mm fisheye lens
One of my Road to Pedernal (Cerro Pedernal) images taken with a modified Hasselblad Xpan and a Samyang 8mm fisheye lens
Santa Rosa de Lima church ruins, Abiquiu, Northern New Mexico, taken with a modified Hasselblad Xpan and a Samyang 8mm fisheye lens
A giant transformer on display in downtown Albuquerque, NM
Snow on tree branches with sunstar, Northern New Mexico
A lowrider truck in a faux hoppig contest at its owner's (Ray Martinez) funeral near Chimayo, New Mexico
Lone tree near Highway 550 in Bernalillo, NM, taken with a Meike fisheye
Eppie Martiez hops his father's (Ray Martiez) truck during Lowrider Day in Espanola, New Mexico
Airliner with sunstar over Albuquerque, NM
Cerro Pedernal taken with a Sony E 10-18mm lens
Two children swing in Albuquerque park. I felt like the sunstar added a bit of excitement to the image that wouldn't have existed otherwise.
Contrail and sunstar/sunburst over Northern New Mexico
White Sands National Park, group of three silhouetted by sunstar near sunset
To contact Bob Eckert for assignments, consultations or workshops, please email [email protected]
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or use the contact form on the About page