We Need To Talk About Your Flare

If you’ve seen the cult classic film Office Space, you’ll remember the line: “We need to talk about your flare.” While the movie was poking fun at mandatory flair in the workplace, it’s a perfect entry point into the world of lens flare in photography—a topic that sparks plenty of conversation among photographers.

Lens flare occurs when non-image-forming light scatters in your camera’s lens system, often caused by bright light sources like the sun or a powerful streetlamp hitting the lens at certain angles. Technically, lens flare is a flaw: it reduces contrast, washes out colors, and can create distracting artifacts. Early lens designs—and even today’s high-end optics—often include coatings and baffling to suppress flare for the cleanest possible image.

We Need To Talk About Your Flare ©2025 Eric Wells Hatheway

Yet, as any creative photographer will tell you, what was once considered a defect has become a sought-after trait. Lens flare can add atmosphere, drama, and authenticity to your photos. Vintage lenses, with their simpler coatings and unique optical quirks, are prized for the beautiful, organic flares they produce. Cinematographers and portrait photographers alike sometimes chase these streaks, halos, and orbs for their storytelling power.

Here are a few tips for using lens flare creatively:

1. Embrace Backlighting: Position the light source behind your subject and adjust your angle to control how the flare enters the frame.
2. Experiment with Aperture: Smaller apertures often create star-shaped flares, while wider apertures result in softer, dreamier effects.
3. Use Lens Characteristics to Your Advantage: Every lens produces flare differently. Vintage glass, anamorphic adapters, or even inexpensive primes can give your photos a signature look.
4. Balance Intention with Clarity: While flare can enhance mood, too much can obscure your subject. Experiment until you find the sweet spot between artistic expression and visual storytelling.

In the end, lens flare is both an optical imperfection and a creative opportunity. Like the “pieces of flair” in Office Space, you don’t need 37 shiny buttons to make an impact—just a willingness to embrace your lens’s unique character and let the light play.

So, next time someone says, “We need to talk about your flare,” you can smile, because your flare means you’re making art on your own terms.