The starburst effect can make photos look more interesting, writes Izwan Ismail
IT’S already six months since this Click! column started and the many tips shared should have resulted in better photos and improved skills.
Here’s another tip that will enable you to come up with some unique photos — try starburst effects.
If you’re not familiar with the term, the starburst effect is the “twinkle” or pointed star effect you get from a light source, such as the sun, street lights, moon, candles and even vehicles.
It adds drama and mood to the picture and will surely attract attention.
This effect can be obtained by adjusting your lens aperture to the smallest range, normally from f/11 to f/22. It is best that you shoot in manual or aperture mode.
Note that in aperture form, small aperture will mean the bigger number, while a large aperture is the smaller number, such as f/1.8 to f/4.
One advice: if you’re shooting the sun, please don’t shoot it directly or focus on the sun as doing so may damage your camera sensor. Focus instead on the subject.
Here are some photos that I took with starburst effects.
1. LONE HORSEMAN: A Tengerese man with his horse at a sand dune in Bromo Caldera, West Java. In this photo, the focus is aimed at the subject and the lens aperture set to f/22, giving a starburst effect of the sun on the left.
2. STAR SHOT: Part of the Manhattan Bridge in New York shot from an alley using f/20 aperture.
3. STARBURST ABOVE FUJI: This shot was taken from on top of a hill at Lake Kawaguchiko in Japan. The lens aperture was set at f/16.
4. RIGHT ON TIME: A starburst from a car headlight is captured at the tip of my shoe. This photo was taken in Ginza, Tokyo using f/16 aperture.
5. NORTH SUN: Passengers enjoying the morning sun during a cruise in Oslo Fjord in Norway. This photo was taken with an f/16 aperture.