Lens Flare is a free Lightroom preset that simulates lens flares in any photo. It adds an air of spontaneity and an in-the-moment dramatic feel. Because of this common effect when taking photos outdoors, you can make shots seem raw, unedited, images.
Collection: Landscape Presets
Best for: Outdoor Photos, Bright Scenes
Style: Bright, Light Flare
If you want to amplify the mood of your photos and add a sense of a fleeting moment, try this filter on your photos. Apply it to pictures that feature scenes with intense outdoor sunlight. The brighter, the better — this is, after all, more likely to produce lens flare. Look at the examples below on how you can use this effect in various scenarios.
Produces a Realistic Light Flare
Sun Glare. Whenever there is an intense light source, flare naturally occurs within a lens system. Light would reflect and scatter within it, and produce this round foreground bokeh effect. It is more likely to happen in zoom lenses.
Because of this, this light anomaly began to be a sought-after effect in photos. It adds some professional air (lens use) and an unedited impression (it, after all, happens as the photo is shot).
The example above is a realistic application of this Lens Flare. It is a likely scene that would produce it: the sky is bright, the sun is intense and outside the frame.
Adds Dramatic Lighting
Urban Flair. You can use this preset in urban scenes, too, to add a dramatic feel. The Lens Flare preset makes it seem that the effect was caused by an intense light source, like a street lamp or a signage light.
See how it helps give off a sophisticated air in the After photo. It now seems like the photo is presenting the locale itself. Go ahead and try this preset on your Instagram urban pictures with accent lights.
Gives a Sense of Warmth
A Feel of the Climate. This can also work well on travel photos, as a way to visually express the scene’s sunny climate. The lense flare will give an impression that it is brightly sunny and warm.
With this simple Lens Flare preset, you can express more about the urbanscape or landscape that you are in. It further helps you project your personal experience and perspective as well.
Highlights the Photographer’s POV
Position and Perspective. This above example elaborates how the Lens Flare preset underscores both the photographer’s position and perspective, especially when outdoors.
To produce the flare, the photographer would have been at an altitude higher than this barren landscape, and under the intense sun; moreover, the flare reminds us of the lenses through which someone frames a scene.
Lens Flare is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…
Like all of our presets, you can absolutely use Lens Flare as is, right out of the box. With any preset you might need to make adjustments to accommodate your specific camera, settings, lighting and subject matter.
- Entirely Adjustable
- Compatible with Lightroom 4, 5, 6 and CC
- Performs with both PC, Mac and Mobile
- Applicable to both RAW and JPG images
- 100% Free
Free Lightroom Preset by Contrastly
