Starburst effect, how to achieve it

How to Achieve the Starburst Effect in Your Photos

The starburst effect is a popular photographic technique where points of light, such as the sun or street lamps, appear to radiate beams like a star. To create this effect, follow these tips:

• Use a Small Aperture: The key to a strong starburst is to set your lens to a small aperture, such as f/11, f/16, or f/22. The smaller the aperture (larger f-number), the more pronounced the starburst effect will be, as the light passing through the narrow opening creates diffraction spikes.
• Watch for Diffraction: While a smaller aperture enhances the starburst effect, shooting at f/22 may introduce diffraction, which can reduce overall image sharpness. To find the best balance between a crisp starburst and minimizing diffraction, experiment with apertures like f/16 or even f/11, depending on your lens.
•  Positioning the Light Source: For the best results, position your light source (like the sun or streetlights) partially obscured by an object, such as a tree or building edge. This can intensify the starburst effect while controlling the exposure of the surrounding scene.
• Use a Tripod for Stability: Shooting at smaller apertures often requires slower shutter speeds, especially in low-light situations. A tripod will help prevent camera shake, ensuring your image remains sharp.

By practicing with different aperture settings and compositions, you'll be able to master the starburst effect while maintaining image quality.

Here is an example of the effect from my last weekend photos.

This photo was taken at f/18, 28mm, handheld, using a Tamron 28-300 EF adapted to Canon R6.

How to photograph strangers

I love street photography, especially capturing candid moments of people going about their daily lives. I rarely ask anyone to pose for a shot. Occasionally, people notice the camera and instinctively pose, but those images often feel less authentic to me. Candid photos of strangers tell a richer, more compelling story about a place than simply photographing its landmarks or scenery.

For example, in the photograph above, the meditating girl at the end of the pier immediately conveys a sense of peace, inviting reflection and introspection. Without her presence, the photo wouldn’t fully capture that same depth or message.

Candid picture of a young woman at a local event. 

Usually, when people notice you’ve taken their photo, they just smile. They often feel flattered that you found something interesting about them.

Street vendors at Roatan, Honduras.

A young woman posing for a photographer when she noticed me taking her picture.

Here is an article from a National Geography Photographer about this topic.

Lee Miller

The making of Lee.

“I would rather take a photograph than be one.”

You can appreciate some of her pictures here. Lee possessed an extraordinary gift: the ability to uncover art in the most surreal and chaotic moments of war. It’s a rare talent to find beauty in such harsh realities.

Canon released new firmware updates

New firmware update for Canon R6.

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/canon-product-advisories/Firmware-Notice-EOS-R6-Firmware-Version-1-9-0

Firmware Version 1.9.0 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Enables functions to be used without limitation in conjunction with the new Battery Pack LP-E6P. This makes it possible to shoot at the same continuous shooting speed as when using LP-E6NH. In-camera charging of LP-E6P is also supported.
2. The following issues have been fixed:
a. Fixes an issue, in which when shooting subjects that are smaller in the frame, the card access indicator blinks and operations can no longer be performed.
b. Fixes an issue, in which when performing shooting in high-speed continuous shooting + mode with the [Highlight Tone Priority] option set to [ON], focus may not be achieved when certain ISO speed settings are used.

If the camera's firmware is already Version1.9.0, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Other updates available are:

EOS R5 Mark II - Version 1.0.1

EOS R5 - Version 2.1.0

EOS R3 - Version 1.8.0

The Saga continues, Canon R5 vs R5 Mk2

Manny Ortiz is one of the photography channels I follow on YouTube. He recently did an in-depth comparison between the two cameras. Check out his final thoughts.

Winners of the Bird Photography of the year

 Wondering who and what photos got the Best Bird Photography of 2024? Click on this link are enjoy the winners' pictures. 

The winning entries in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition were just announced. Patricia Homonylo was named the overall winner for her conservation-themed image of the thousands of birds killed in one year by colliding with windows and other reflective surfaces in urban areas. Competition organizers were once more kind enough to share some of the other winners here, selected from a field of more than 23,000 entries.

A must watch video

 This is an excellent video that shows you the importance of light, specifically backlight, in wildlife photography. You can see beautiful pictures taken using this technique.  

 

I love incorporating backlighting in my photography as much as possible. It adds a sense of drama and depth, elevating the composition far beyond what you'd achieve with frontal lighting. The way backlighting enhances silhouettes and contrasts makes the scene more visually striking, creating mood and atmosphere that wouldn't be as impactful with the light coming from the front.

I still have a long way to go to achieve the same results as shown in the video. While it's motivating, I recognize there's a lot of practice and learning ahead for me to reach that level.