Please explain this light bloom

[heron88]

Hello,

I've been trying to replicate this effect with no avail. I've been lurking in these forums for a while and decided I'd ask here since there is a lot of skill and knowledge around here!

What I'm interested in is the (what I can best describe as) bloom around the lights in these pictures:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...nu3yg94jpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...wbf3ikejpg.jpg

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[skoobey]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

Soft white round brush, low opacity.

[Flashtones]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

probably a fairly natural effect of shooting bare bulbs with the lens wide open (f2.8)

[Aladdin]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

could be all of the above.

[DianaPolitical]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

Hello,

I've been trying to replicate this effect with no avail. I've been lurking in these forums for a while and decided I'd ask here since there is a lot of skill and knowledge around here!

What I'm interested in is the (what I can best describe as) bloom around the lights in these pictures:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...nu3yg94jpg.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...wbf3ikejpg.jpg

Any help is greatly appreciated!

A fluorescent bulb like that will never be able to flare like that, it's all in post. You can do two things, one use a brush at 0% hardness and really low opacity, like 5% or less, and paint in the white on a new layer. Then Gaussian Blur it if it's not soft enough.

Alternatively, you can use the Alpha channels to select just the highlights in the image, and then Layer via Copy them. Then, you gaussian blur the highlights to taste, maybe something like 150px or more depending on the image size. Then again lower the opacity until it looks how you want it. Then add a layer mask and hide all the "flare" or "bloom" that doesn't look good.

Good Luck! Post your result!!!

[heron88]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

Many thanks to all! I will be sure to share results once I have them.

[Flashtones]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

A fluorescent bulb like that will never be able to flare like that, it's all in post.

Come on, any bare light source can flare a wide open zoom lens if you shoot straight into it and overexpose:

http://www.maxlite.com/_assets/image...allery.app.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...scent_Lamp.JPG

http://diffuserspecialist.com/wp-con...01-750x350.jpg

http://www.drkrishi.com/wp-content/u...Kambala-04.jpg

That said, he asked how to do it in post and it's good you've answered that.

[franko60]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

Come on, any bare light source can flare a wide open zoom lens if you shoot straight into it and overexpose:

...especially if the lens is less than perfectly clean...

[klev]

Re: Please explain this light bloom

A fluorescent bulb like that will never be able to flare like that, it's all in post. You can do two things, one use a brush at 0% hardness and really low opacity, like 5% or less, and paint in the white on a new layer. Then Gaussian Blur it if it's not soft enough.

Alternatively, you can use the Alpha channels to select just the highlights in the image, and then Layer via Copy them. Then, you gaussian blur the highlights to taste, maybe something like 150px or more depending on the image size. Then again lower the opacity until it looks how you want it. Then add a layer mask and hide all the "flare" or "bloom" that doesn't look good.

Good Luck! Post your result!!!

You have to do that in stages to get an acceptable look. I mean if you want to go that route, use several adjustments feathered to different widths, with the adjustment being greatest on the most feathered one, then tapering off as it gets smaller. It's still not perfect. I pointed out the inverted haloing issue with the gaussian blur filter in another thread, as well as several other things. It helps though.

I don't mean to contradict your post. I just wanted to add that on. It's actually a bit rough in those photos, but what I mention above would probably deliver better results.