3 no-nonsense lens flare tips [sponsored]

Lens Flares: less can often be more

Lens flares are a great filmmaking tool that have the power to make a standard shot look instantly more cinematic. But, like any element that can be added in post remember: with great power comes great responsibility. When it comes to lens flares, it’s all too easy to go overboard.

Here we’ve put together 3 useful tips that’ll help you maximize the effectiveness of your lens flares.  

1) Getting Real With Lens Flares

At its essence, a lens flare is a visual flaw caused by reflecting light. That fact makes them an ideal way to reassure your audience that what they’re looking at is a real image (even if it’s not).

If your intended effect is to add a sense of realism, then it’s important to use organically captured lens flares over digital. 

For an authentic look, check out Radium by RocketStock. It’s a pack of 120 lens flares in 4K that have been captured using real sunlight with an anamorphic lens. It’s a great (and affordable) option for anyone looking for organic, professional-grade lens flares. 

2) Using Lens Flares to Up the Emotion

It’s a video editor’s role to guide an audience in the right direction; to get them to feel the right emotion at the right moment. So with their ability to enhance mood, lens flares are a great addition to your storytelling toolkit. 

Take wedding videos as an example. A gentle, warm lens flare used in the right shot can trigger feelings of contentment and romance. 

Using a customizable lens flare pack like Radium means that you can easily get your lens flares to evoke exactly the emotion or mood your scene requires.

3) With Lens Flares, Less is More

Because lens flares can be added in post rather than only captured in-camera, it’s tempting to go overboard. Like any filmmaking tool, lens flares should be used to further your video’s story. If you’re distracting your audience with the overuse of visual elements, they’re no longer focusing on what’s important.

Ready to put these tips into practice? Check out the Radium demo below, then head over to RocketStock to see what a difference an organic lens flare can make to your next video.