Understanding Sun Glare

A well-known issue in photography is glare and haze due to sunlight incident on the camera lens.  This sunlight scatters from the edges of the lens and reflects between surfaces, creating streaks, haze, and poor contrast in the photo.  We all know to take photos with the sun at our back if conditions permit.  But sometimes, especially during travel, you must shoot towards the sun to capture items of interest.  During a recent hiking trip to the Pyrenees, I was only able to carry my iPhone on the long treks and was amazed how many photos were compromised by sun glare.  Below shows two photos, one backlit and crystal clear, the other taken towards the sun with streaks and haze.

On a trip to Rome the following year, I had similar compromised photos.

The solution to this issue is to do the best job possible to shade the lens from the sun.  With professional gear, such as full-frame mirrorless cameras and lenses, the lenses are always provided with a lens hood to block sunlight.  The hood is designed to match the field-of-view of the lens so that it doesn’t clip the photograph. 

For smartphones, there is no built-in equivalent to the professional lens hood.  This is where the SunPro Photo Sun Shield comes in.  The Sun Shield provides a rotatable flap that provides shade for the lens.  The flap can be rotated and tilted to accommodate any sun angle and can adapt to any zoom level, from ultra-wide-angle to 5x zoom.  The sun shield attaches via the magnetic ring to a MagSafe case and the pivoting rings allow the device expand or contract to fit any modern smartphone, regardless of size.

Below is an example of using the sun shield for a garden shot.  On the left, the sun shield is tilted back and the lens is fully exposed to the sun.  In this case, the photo is completely compromised by sun glare streaks and poor contrast.  On the right side, the shield is rotated and tilted to shade the lens while not overlapping the field of view.  Typically, I adjust the shield until it just appears in the edge of the photo, then back it off a touch.  In this case, the photo is dramatically improved.

Note that if you are shooting straight into the sun and the sun is within the frame of the photo, e.g. a sunset, then the sun shield does not help.  But in this case the sun is usually low in the sky and not as bright and some glare or streaks from the sun may be part of the artistic effect. 

Try SunPro Photo Sun Shield on your next trip to capture perfect memories.  You can leave it attached during your hiking or travels as it folds up and slips easily into your pocket.  See our companion blog on using the Sun Shield as a kickstand or portable tripod in the field.  Enjoy!