Flare and brightness

[reaction]

Not sure how to ask this. You know how many creatives have portraits with huge flare, u usually see them looking over the shoulder and the whole photo gets a dreamy feel.

Do you look for that flare in camera, or add it in post? If IC, what exactly are you metering for?

[Tannin]

You'd better link to some samples. Reaction. Show people what you mean.

[reaction]

OK here's a few from google

http://www.katemacpherson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/GoldenLightLensFlare011.jpg
http://benmillerphoto.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/female-fashion-model-500x750.jpg
https://mpark525.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/clydefirstbirthday129_fin.jpg?w=490&h=718

these are not ones I like but u see the low contrast effect of the flare

the one I like I'm probably thinking of a TV ad where a girl runs thru a field and looks back

[Tannin]

Ah. Thankyou. Those effects can be achieved in-camera. I have frequently done broadly similar things myself. (But not with human subjects, of course.)

Metering? Hooo ... I just add in +EC till it looks about right. Typically, I add between 1 and 2 stops. I just ignore the blown highlights, they are part of it, and I try to take a wide range of different exposures, then pick one later. You can't really see what you are doing in that bright light anyway, so it's best just to take a good range and figure it out later.

I should imagine it would be harder with human subjects, though I've never tried that.

[NikonNellie]

As Tony said you can get this effect in camera but these flare effects are usually added in by the photographer in post processing. There are a number of sources on the web where you can purchase overlays that give you this effect.You can also add it yourself if you know how to in photoshop using the gradient tool. I use flares occasionally in both portrait and landscape as I just love that dreamy look, particularly in portraits.:)

[reaction]

I guess in cam it'd be hard to know whether u got the little flare reflections or if the whole thing is washed out
it's hard to guess what would look good