Remove Lens Flare: Photo Editing Tips & Tricks

Lens flare appears as unwanted artifacts on images. Lens flare reduces image contrast. Lens flare obscures important details. Photo editing software provides tools to remove lens flare. Retouching techniques effectively eliminates these distractions. Post-processing workflow addresses the challenge of removing lens flare and restores image quality. Removing lens flare refines images.

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Taming the Sun: Saying Goodbye to Unwanted Lens Flare

Alright, picture this: you’ve finally snagged that perfect shot. The light is magical, the composition is on point, and you’re practically patting yourself on the back. Then, you upload it to your computer, and BAM! Lens flare. It’s like that uninvited guest who crashes the party and spills punch on the rug.

But fear not, fellow photo enthusiasts! Lens flare, that pesky optical phenomenon, doesn’t have to ruin your masterpieces. We’re diving headfirst into the world of lens flare removal, showing you how to banish those unwanted sunbeams and reclaim your images.

What Exactly IS Lens Flare, Anyway?

Think of lens flare as the sun (or any bright light source) having a little too much fun inside your lens. It happens when light scatters and bounces around within the lens elements, creating those bright spots, streaks, and hazy glows that can sometimes plague our photos.

Why Bother Getting Rid of It?

Okay, sometimes a little lens flare can add a cool, artistic vibe. But more often than not, it’s just a distraction. It can reduce the contrast, making your image look washed out, and draw the eye away from your intended subject. Getting rid of it instantly gives your photos a cleaner, more professional look.

Your Flare-Fighting Toolkit: A Sneak Peek

So, how do we go about eradicating this photographic menace? Well, we’ll be exploring a range of software and techniques, from the trusty Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop to clever masking tricks. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a complete newbie, we’ve got something for everyone. Get ready to take control of your images and say goodbye to unwanted lens flare forever!

Understanding the Enemy: Identifying Different Types of Lens Flare

So, you’re ready to kick lens flare to the curb, huh? That’s awesome! But before you start swinging that digital hammer, it’s crucial to know your enemy. Not all lens flares are created equal. Some are sneaky little gremlins, while others are full-blown光污染 (guāng wūrǎn – light pollution for my international friends!). Understanding what type of flare you’re dealing with will seriously level up your editing game.

Spotting the Culprits: Common Types of Lens Flare

Let’s break down the usual suspects you’ll find crashing the party in your photos:

Bright Spots: These are the most common offenders. Think small, often circular, areas of intense brightness. They can look like tiny suns scattered across your image, and they’re often the easiest to spot (and, thankfully, often the easiest to remove!).
Streaks: Imagine laser beams gone wild! Streaks are lines of light that extend from the light source. They can be super distracting and totally ruin an otherwise awesome shot. These guys can be a little trickier to deal with, but fear not, we’ll get there.
Halos: These are the mystical glows that surround bright areas. They can create a dreamy effect… or just make your picture look like it was taken through a greasy lens (not the vibe we’re going for, right?). They’re usually circular or semi-circular and can soften the image.
Rings: Like a cosmic fingerprint on your image, these are concentric circles of light. They’re caused by internal reflections within the lens and can be particularly annoying when they obscure important details.
Loss of Contrast: This is a sneaky one! Instead of distinct shapes, you get an overall reduction in image contrast. Your photo looks washed out and lacks that oomph. It’s like the flare is sucking all the life out of your picture.
Color Distortion: Ever notice weird, unnatural colors popping up? That’s color distortion caused by lens flare. It’s like your camera decided to join the psychedelic era without your permission. Look for unnatural color casts or artifacts.

How Lens Flare Messes With Your Image

Okay, so we know what these flares look like, but how do they actually affect our pictures?

Contrast: Flare’s biggest crime is killing contrast. It throws a veil over your image, making it look washed out and flat. Think of it like trying to watch a movie with the sun glaring directly onto your screen. Not ideal.
Color Balance: Those unwanted color casts we talked about? They wreak havoc on your image’s color balance, throwing off the whole vibe. It’s like your photo suddenly decided to adopt a new, unflattering filter.

RAW vs. JPEG: Choose Your Weapon Wisely

Now, a quick but crucial tip: shooting in RAW gives you way more flexibility when dealing with lens flare in post-processing. Think of it as having a super-powered editing arsenal. JPEG files are compressed, which means you lose a lot of image data. RAW files, on the other hand, retain all that precious information, giving you more wiggle room to fix those pesky flares. Think of it like this: JPEG is like a crayon drawing, while RAW is like having a whole set of oil paints. The latter gives you much more to work with.

Your Arsenal: Software and Tools for Lens Flare Removal

Okay, so you’re ready to wage war on those pesky lens flares? Excellent! First, you need to arm yourself with the right tools. Think of this section as your trip to the digital armory. Let’s explore the software and tools that will transform you from a frustrated photographer into a lens flare-vanquishing hero.

Software Showdown: Choosing Your Weapon

Adobe Photoshop: The heavy hitter. It’s the industry standard for a reason, folks. Photoshop is like having a Swiss Army knife on steroids. It can do anything, from basic touch-ups to mind-bending manipulations. The sheer number of features can be overwhelming, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like a digital wizard. It’s like having a photography studio in your computer.
Adobe Lightroom: The streamlined speedster. If Photoshop is the studio, Lightroom is the well-organized darkroom. It’s built for managing and editing large batches of photos, making it perfect for wedding and event photographers or anyone who values an efficient workflow. It’s also super user-friendly, so you can jump right in and start making your photos shine in no time. Lightroom makes batch editing, organizing, and refining your photos much faster.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): The free-spirited underdog. Don’t let the name fool you; GIMP is a powerful, free alternative to Photoshop. It might not have all the bells and whistles, but it can handle most editing tasks with ease, including lens flare removal. Plus, it’s open-source, meaning a community of developers constantly improves it. It’s perfect if you’re on a budget or just want to test the waters before investing in paid software. You get an impressive set of tools without paying anything.
Affinity Photo: The challenger. Affinity Photo is the professional photo editing choice with a competitive price. It’s a powerful and budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop. It provides robust editing capabilities that rival Photoshop but at a fraction of the price. Affinity Photo offers a smooth transition and doesn’t skimp on professional-grade features, which makes it perfect for photographers who want to make the most of their spending budget.

Essential Tools: The Nitty-Gritty

Now that you have a software arsenal, let’s dive into the specific tools you’ll be using to obliterate lens flare:

Clone Stamp Tool: Imagine having a magic stamp that copies and pastes bits of your image. That’s the Clone Stamp Tool! Here’s how to wield it:
1. Select the Clone Stamp Tool from the toolbar.
2. Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) on a clean area near the lens flare. This sets your source point.
3. Click or brush over the flare. The tool will copy the source area onto the flare, effectively erasing it.
4. Adjust the brush size and hardness for seamless blending.
5. Repeat as needed, choosing new source points to avoid repeating patterns.
Healing Brush Tool: Think of this as a smarter Clone Stamp. Instead of just copying, it blends the textures and tones of the source area with the area you’re healing. Follow these steps:
1. Select the Healing Brush Tool.
2. Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) to select a source area.
3. Brush over the flare. The tool will blend the source texture with the surrounding area, creating a more natural-looking result.
4. Adjust the brush settings to match the surrounding details for best results.
Spot Healing Brush Tool: This is your quick-fix solution for small flares and blemishes. Just click or drag over the flare, and the tool automatically samples the surrounding area to make it disappear.
1. Select the Spot Healing Brush Tool.
2. Click or drag over the lens flare. The tool automatically blends the area with the surroundings.
3. It’s excellent for small spots but might not be the best choice for larger, more complex flares.
Content-Aware Fill: This tool is like having an AI assistant built into your software. Select the area with the flare, and Content-Aware Fill intelligently fills it based on the surrounding content. It analyzes the patterns, colors, and textures around the selection and generates a realistic fill.
1. Select the area with the lens flare using a selection tool (Lasso Tool, etc.).
2. Go to Edit > Fill and choose “Content-Aware” from the “Contents” dropdown.
3. Adjust the settings if needed, and click OK. The software will magically fill the area!
Masking Tools: Masks allow you to make precise, non-destructive edits. Instead of directly altering the image, you create a mask that controls which areas are affected by your adjustments.
1. Add an adjustment layer (e.g., brightness/contrast, color balance).
2. Click the mask icon to create a layer mask.
3. Paint on the mask with black to hide the adjustment and white to reveal it. This gives you ultimate control over where your edits are applied.

So there you have it! With these software options and powerful tools, you’re well-equipped to tackle even the most stubborn lens flares. Let’s move on to the fun part: putting these tools into action and mastering various lens flare removal techniques.

Cloning: The Art of Copy and Paste, But Make It Seamless

So, you’ve got a pesky bit of flare smack-dab in the middle of your otherwise perfect photo? Don’t fret! The Clone Stamp tool is your new best friend. Think of it as a digital patch – you’re essentially copying a good part of your image and pasting it over the offending flare.

First, select your source point – that’s the area you’re going to copy from. Make sure it’s close to the flare and has a similar texture and color. Then, carefully paint over the flare. The trick here is to avoid repetitive patterns. Nobody wants a photo that looks like it was stamped out on an assembly line! Change your source point frequently, blend edges with a soft brush, and voilà – your flare is gone like a ninja in the night.

Healing: Blending Like a Pro

The Healing Brush takes cloning to the next level by intelligently blending the copied area with its surroundings. It’s like a digital plastic surgeon, seamlessly merging textures and tones.

The process is similar to cloning: select a source point, then paint over the flare. But here’s the magic: the Healing Brush analyzes the surrounding pixels and adjusts the copied area to match. This is especially useful for removing flare from areas with complex textures, like skin or foliage. Experiment with different brush sizes and blending modes to achieve that flawless, no-one-will-ever-know-it-was-there finish.

Content-Aware Fill/Removal: When You Need a Miracle

Sometimes, lens flare is so severe that cloning and healing just won’t cut it. That’s when you call in the big guns: Content-Aware Fill. This feature uses advanced algorithms to analyze the surrounding area and intelligently fill in the selected region. It’s like magic, but with computers!

To use it, simply select the area with the flare (Lasso Tool or any selection tool) and choose “Content-Aware Fill” (usually under the Edit menu). The software will then generate a realistic replacement based on the surrounding content. You can even refine the selection to tell the software which areas to sample from. While it’s not always perfect, Content-Aware Fill can save you hours of painstaking editing. Be sure to refine the edit with the Healing or Clone Stamp brush to achieve a realistic and flawless effect.

Color Correction: Rescuing Distorted Hues

Lens flare often messes with the colors in your image, leaving you with unnatural casts and funky tones. Fortunately, color correction tools can bring those colors back to life.

Start by using adjustment layers like “Curves” or “Color Balance.” These allow you to adjust the overall color of your image without permanently altering the original pixels. Target specific color ranges that have been affected by the flare. For example, if the flare has introduced a yellowish tint, reduce the yellow in the midtones. Subtlety is key here – you want to enhance the colors, not create a psychedelic masterpiece (unless that’s your goal, of course!).

Adjustment Layers: Your Non-Destructive Editing Playground

Speaking of adjustment layers, let’s give them their due. These are non-destructive editing tools, meaning any changes you make are applied on top of your original image, without altering the underlying pixels. This is a game-changer because you can always go back and tweak your adjustments, experiment with different settings, or even delete the layer altogether.

Use adjustment layers for everything from brightness and contrast to color balance and sharpness. They give you complete control over your image and allow you to refine your edits with maximum flexibility. It’s like having an “undo” button for every single adjustment you make – what’s not to love?

Masking: Targeting Your Edits with Laser Precision

Masking is the art of selectively applying edits to specific areas of your image. It’s like using painter’s tape to protect the areas you don’t want to paint.

In photo editing, masks allow you to create precise selections and apply adjustments only to those areas. For example, if you want to remove flare from the sky without affecting the foreground, you can create a mask that isolates the sky. Then, any adjustments you make will only affect the selected area. Masks can be created using a variety of tools, like brushes, gradients, and selection tools. Mastering masking is essential for achieving professional-looking results.

Replacing the Sky: When All Else Fails, Get a New One

Sometimes, lens flare is so overwhelming that it’s easier to just replace the sky altogether. This might sound drastic, but it can be a surprisingly effective solution, especially if the flare is concentrated in the sky area.

Find a suitable replacement sky – there are plenty of free stock images available online. Then, use masking techniques to seamlessly blend the new sky with your original image. Pay close attention to the horizon line and ensure that the colors and lighting match the rest of the image. This technique requires some practice, but the results can be truly transformative.

The Art of Subtlety: Considerations During Editing

Alright, you’ve got your software, you’ve practiced your techniques, and you’re ready to banish that pesky lens flare into oblivion. But hold on a sec, partner! Removing lens flare isn’t just about erasing those bright spots; it’s about doing it with finesse. Think of yourself as a digital surgeon, not a demolition expert. We want to improve the image, not obliterate it.

Maintaining Image Realism

Ever seen a photo that just looks…off? Like it’s been through a Photoshop blender one too many times? Yeah, we definitely want to avoid that! The key is to make sure your edits blend seamlessly with the original image. Don’t go overboard with contrast or saturation adjustments. The goal is to remove the flare while maintaining a natural and believable look. Aim to enhance, not replace, the natural beauty of the shot.

Preserving Detail

Lens flare can sometimes obscure fine details in your image. When removing the flare, it’s crucial to preserve as much of this detail as possible. Use tools like the Healing Brush with a smaller brush size to avoid blurring important textures. Zoom in close to see what you’re doing. You don’t want to trade flare for a loss of sharpness.

Avoiding Over-Editing

Ah, the siren song of over-editing! It’s tempting to keep tweaking until everything looks “perfect,” but trust me, less is often more. Over-editing can lead to a plastic or artificial appearance, which nobody wants. It’s like adding too much seasoning to a dish – you can ruin the whole thing! Know when to step away from the screen and give your eyes a break. A fresh perspective can save you from going too far.

Understanding Light and Shadow

This is where things get a bit artsy. Understanding how light and shadow interact in your image is essential for realistic edits. Pay attention to the direction of the light source and how it affects the surrounding areas. When removing flare, make sure your corrections mimic the natural light patterns. Recreating shadows correctly is what makes the final image look believable.

Color Matching

Lens flare can often introduce unwanted color casts, messing with your image’s color balance. After removing the flare, take some time to adjust the colors in the affected areas. Use color correction tools to restore natural tones and ensure consistent colors throughout the image. The goal is to make it look like the flare never existed in the first place.

Texture Matching

Just like color, texture needs to be consistent too! The Clone Stamp and Healing Brush tools are your friends here. Pay attention to the textures you’re copying and pasting or blending. For instance, if you’re fixing flare on a textured surface like brick or skin, make sure the copied texture matches the surrounding area. Inconsistent textures are a dead giveaway that editing has occurred.

Prevention is Better Than Cure: Alternatives to Editing Out Lens Flare

Alright, let’s talk about avoiding the whole lens flare drama in the first place! Because, let’s be honest, spending hours in post-processing is so last season. Wouldn’t you rather be out there capturing more amazing shots? Thought so! So, here’s the secret sauce to keeping that pesky flare at bay while you’re shooting. Think of it as photographic preventative medicine!

Using a Lens Hood

First up: the mighty lens hood. It’s not just a fancy accessory that makes you look like a pro; it’s your first line of defense against unwanted light. Think of it like a baseball cap for your lens! It physically blocks stray light rays from hitting the front element of your lens. The hood helps your lens to have more focus on capturing the images and not unnecessary lights. This alone can drastically reduce flare and improve contrast. Make sure you get the right hood for your lens; the wrong size or shape can actually cause vignetting (dark corners). Not cool.

Changing Shooting Angle

Next, try the ol’ shooting angle shuffle. Sometimes, all it takes is a little dance! Adjusting your position even slightly can make a huge difference. A slight tilt up, down, or sideways could shift the position of the sun (or any strong light source) just enough to eliminate that annoying flare. It’s like playing hide-and-seek with the light – and you want the light to not find your lens.

Blocking the Light Source

Now, let’s get a little hands-on. Literally! Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best: block the light source. Use your hand, a piece of cardboard, a strategically placed tree, or even a friend to create a shadow over your lens. Just be careful not to get your fingers (or the blocking object) in the shot! A little shadow ninja-ing can save you a ton of editing time later.

Taking Multiple Exposures

Finally, for those really tricky situations, consider the multiple exposure trick. This involves taking two (or more) photos of the same scene. In one shot, expose for the scene without worrying about the flare. In the other, block the light source (again, hand, cardboard, friend) and expose for the flare area. Later, in post-processing, you can blend these exposures together, using the clean parts of each image to create a final, flare-free masterpiece. It’s a bit more advanced, but totally worth it for those epic shots where you just can’t avoid the sun. Think of it like merging realities into the perfect photo.

Remember, a little pre-planning and these simple techniques can save you hours of frustration later. So, get out there, experiment, and keep those flares at bay!

File Format Fundamentals: Decoding the Digital Alphabet Soup for Flare-Free Photos

Okay, so you’re geared up to wrangle that pesky lens flare and transform your images from “meh” to marvelous! But hold on a sec – before you dive headfirst into Photoshop, let’s chat about something kinda nerdy, but super important: file formats. Think of them as the containers that hold your precious photo data. Choosing the right one can be the difference between a smooth editing experience and a pixelated nightmare. Trust me, you don’t want to spend hours perfecting your image, only to have it crumble into digital dust because you picked the wrong file type.

PSD (Photoshop Document): The Layer Cake of Editing

Ever baked a layer cake? Well, a PSD is kinda like that for your photos. It’s Adobe Photoshop’s native format, and it’s the king of non-destructive editing. What does that mean? Basically, it keeps all your layers, masks, adjustment layers, and editing history intact. So, if you decide a week later that your “healing brush” skills went a little overboard and you want to tweak something, you can! It’s like having a digital time machine for your edits. The downside? PSD files can get hefty, especially if you’re working with lots of layers and high-resolution images. Plus, you’ll need Photoshop (or a compatible program) to open them. But for complex lens flare removal projects, the PSD format is your best friend.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format): The Archivist’s Choice

Imagine you’re a museum curator entrusted with preserving a priceless painting. You wouldn’t wrap it in plastic wrap, right? You’d use archival-quality materials. That’s TIFF in a nutshell. It’s a lossless format, meaning it retains every single bit of image data during editing and saving. No compression artifacts here! This makes TIFF the go-to choice for high-quality editing, especially when you’re dealing with subtle color corrections and detail recovery. While TIFF supports layers, it is not nearly as efficient as PSD. It’s also a bigger file format but can be a great option for a final edit. If you plan on printing your lens flare-free masterpiece or want to archive it for posterity, save it as a TIFF.

RAW vs. JPEG: The Rematch

Okay, we touched on this briefly before, but it’s worth hammering home. Shooting in RAW is like capturing all the ingredients for a delicious meal, while shooting in JPEG is like buying a pre-made TV dinner. With RAW, you get the full dynamic range and color information captured by your camera’s sensor. This gives you way more flexibility when it comes to recovering highlights, shadows, and, you guessed it, fixing color casts caused by lens flare. JPEG, on the other hand, is a compressed format that throws away some of that data to save space. This compression can make it harder to remove lens flare cleanly, as you’ll have less information to work with. So, whenever possible, shoot in RAW, especially if you anticipate dealing with challenging lighting conditions and potential lens flare. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

From Start to Finish: Step-by-Step Editing Examples

Alright, buckle up buttercups! Now we’re getting to the fun part – putting all that theory into practice! We’re going to walk through a few real-world examples, showing you how to banish those pesky lens flares like a pro. Think of it as your personal lens flare demolition derby. Let’s get started!

Example 1: Zapping a Simple Bright Spot with the Spot Healing Brush Tool

So, you’ve got a lovely photo, but BAM! There’s this little bright spot glaring back at you. It’s like that one uninvited guest who showed up to the party. Time to show it the door! This is where the Spot Healing Brush Tool shines.

Open your image: Fire up your editing software of choice (Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo – whichever floats your boat!).
Select the Spot Healing Brush Tool: It looks like a little band-aid. Find it, love it, use it.
Adjust the brush size: Make the brush slightly larger than the bright spot you’re trying to eliminate. You want to cover the whole area, not just a tiny bit.
Click on the bright spot: That’s it! Just one click, and watch the magic happen. The tool intelligently samples the surrounding area and blends it seamlessly.
Admire your handiwork: Zoom in to make sure it’s all smooth and natural. If needed, repeat the process or adjust the brush size.

Example 2: Vanquishing Streaks with the Clone Stamp and Healing Brush – A Blending Ballet!

Streaks are those lines of light that can really mess with your image. They’re like unwanted graffiti on a beautiful mural. To get rid of them, we’re bringing out the big guns: the Clone Stamp Tool and the Healing Brush Tool. Think of them as partners in a delicate dance!

Select the Clone Stamp Tool: This tool lets you copy pixels from one area to another. It’s like a digital photocopier!
Set your sampling point: Hold down the Alt (or Option) key and click on a clean area near the streak. This is the area you’ll be copying from. Make sure it matches the texture and color around the streak.
Paint over the streak: Gently paint over the streak with the Clone Stamp Tool. You might need to reset your sampling point frequently to keep the copied area looking natural.
Bring in the Healing Brush Tool: This tool blends the cloned area seamlessly with its surroundings. It’s like smoothing out wrinkles on a silk sheet.
Adjust the brush size and opacity: Set the brush size to be slightly larger than the area you want to blend. Reduce the opacity to around 50% for a more subtle blending effect.
Paint over the edges of the cloned area: Use the Healing Brush Tool to blend the edges where the cloned area meets the original image. This will make the repair look much more natural.
Repeat and refine: Keep cloning and healing until the streak is gone and the area looks seamless. Zoom in to check for any unnatural patterns or obvious edits.

Example 3: Taming Halos and Restoring Contrast with Adjustment Layers and Masks – The Advanced Approach!

Okay, now we’re getting fancy! Halos (those pesky glows around bright areas) and general loss of contrast often require a more nuanced approach. This is where adjustment layers and masking come in to save the day. It’s like conducting an orchestra to get the perfect sound!

Create an Adjustment Layer for Contrast: In Photoshop (or your software of choice), add a Curves or Levels adjustment layer.
Increase Contrast: Adjust the curves or levels to bring back some contrast to the image. Be careful not to overdo it!
Create a Mask: Invert the mask (Ctrl+I or Cmd+I) so that the adjustment is hidden. This makes the mask black, concealing the effect.
Paint with White: Select a soft, white brush and paint over the haloed areas in the mask. This will selectively apply the contrast adjustment to those areas.
Fine-Tune: Adjust the opacity of the adjustment layer or the mask to control the intensity of the effect. You want it to look natural, not overdone.
Add an Adjustment Layer for Color Correction (if needed): If the flare has affected the color balance, add a Color Balance or Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to correct it.
Mask the Color Correction: Use a mask to apply the color correction only to the areas affected by the flare.
Repeat and Refine: Keep adjusting the levels, masks, and color until the halos are minimized and the image looks natural and balanced. This might take some practice, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

And there you have it! Three examples to get you started on your lens flare removal journey. Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you experiment with these tools and techniques, the better you’ll become at banishing those unwanted flares. Keep at it, and you’ll be amazed at the results!

Perfecting Your Craft: Best Practices for Lens Flare Removal

Okay, you’ve got the tools and techniques down, now let’s talk about how to actually make sure you’re creating magic and not a muddy mess. It’s easy to get carried away, trust me, I’ve been there. But, like a good chef knows when to stop adding spices, a good photo editor knows when to put the mouse down. Here’s the secret sauce to flawless flare finessing.

Non-Destructive Editing: Your Safety Net

Imagine you’re building with LEGOs. You wouldn’t glue them together on the first try, would you? No way! That’s what destructive editing is like. Instead, think adjustment layers and masks as your digital LEGO bricks. These are your ‘undo’ buttons. They let you tweak brightness, contrast, or even completely remove lens flare without altering the original image data. So, if you mess up (and we all do!), you’re not stuck with a ruined photo forever. Instead, you are editing on different layers that would not impact the main photo and is adjustable whenever. Plus, we don’t want any photo-editing disasters.

The Devil’s in the Details: Zoom In, My Friend

Ever seen a painting up close? Those tiny brushstrokes make a big difference! It’s the same with photo editing. Once you’ve applied your cloning, healing, or content-aware magic, zoom in, like, really zoom in. Look for weird edges, repeating patterns, or blurry spots that give away your edits. The goal is a seamless repair, and that requires a keen eye for detail. Also remember to take breaks to avoid being tunnel-visioned!

The “Before & After” Sanity Check: Are You Making It Better… Or Worse?

It’s super easy to get lost in the editing rabbit hole and totally lose sight of the original image. So, here’s a pro tip: Constantly compare your edited image to the original. This is your reality check. Ask yourself:

“Am I actually improving this or just changing it?”
“Am I adding detail where there wasn’t any before?”
“Is it starting to look like a video game?”

The goal is to enhance, not fabricate. Avoid the over-editing trap, and you’ll create images that look natural and believable.

So, there you have it! Lens flare can be a real pain, but with these simple tricks, you can easily remove it and bring out the true beauty of your photos. Happy editing!