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Halos encircling the sun or moon are a remarkable optical occurrence that can create stunning photographs. Although typically linked to chilly conditions, they can manifest in any climate and have been observed even in tropical Southeast Asia! In this article, we explore how sun halos come to exist, along with techniques for capturing them on camera and processing the images afterward. (Authored by: Chikako Yagi, Digital Camera Magazine)
EOS R5/ RF15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM/ FL: 15mm/ Aperture-priority AE (f/8, 1/800 sec. EV -0.7)/ ISO 100/ WB: Daylight
Location: Kai Choshizuka Kofun, Yamanashi Prefecture/ Early April/ 12:50pm
A halo hovers in the azure sky above the trees in this dreamlike, painting-style photograph, taken with an ultra-wide-angle lens set at 15mm. I experimented with various compositions to ensure the unique trees were included within the frame. This ageless, ethereal image was produced through elimination, leaving out all other distinctive features of the setting.
Step 1: Watch for cirrostratus (high-altitude) clouds
You’ll be better equipped to look for sun halos when you comprehend the weather conditions that favor their formation.
Conditions for sun halos:
– When numerous cirrostratus clouds (thin, veil-like high-altitude clouds) are present
– When a storm, weather front, or low-pressure system approaches.
Sun halos represent an optical weather phenomenon that chiefly occur when veil-shaped cirrostratus clouds, composed of ice crystals, expand to cover a large area. They are produced when the ice crystals within the clouds refract the sunlight that passes through them at particular angles. Although they can occur at any time of the year, in Japan, they appear more often from late spring to early summer as low-pressure fronts near the southern coast.
Airplane contrails develop under the same conditions as halos; thus, if you observe more contrails lingering longer than usual in the sky, it’s an indication of ideal conditions for halos to form. Once, after spotting numerous contrails, I glanced towards the sun, and behold, there was a halo encircling it!
Pro tip: Check the cloud forecast
Utilize a cloud forecasting website or app to track high-altitude clouds. You can consider Windy.com, which also provides a mobile app for both Apple and Android devices.
Step 2: Capture images using an ultra-wide-angle lens
24mm often isn’t sufficient to encompass the scene
The 24mm wide-angle setting of most standard zoom lenses typically won’t be adequate to encompass both the halo and the area below it.
When encountering extraordinary natural events like a sun halo, our gaze tends to gravitate towards the phenomenon initially. However, your photograph will be more impactful if you position the halo as a secondary subject and choose another element in the landscape to be the focal point.
The optimal focal length varies depending on the sun’s location and the size of the halo. Nevertheless, utilizing an ultra-wide-angle lens like the RF15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM I employed in the primary image at the top will simplify the shooting process.
Shooting recommendations
1. Expose carefully to avoid blown highlights
As halos appear around the sun, this leads to high contrast in the image. If you expose for the landscape, you risk overexposing the halo and losing highlight details.
– Activate the Highlight Tone Priority function to safeguard your highlights.
– If you’re working in a semi-automatic mode, apply negative exposure compensation. Keep in mind: you can enhance the foreground in post-processing later.
– View your histogram and confirm that you don’t have too many blown highlights. Learn more about utilizing histograms and other advice in Understanding Dynamic Range: How to Avoid Unnecessary Blown Highlights
2. Try to avoid lens filters
Lens filters may create ghosting and flare. It’s advisable to refrain from using them.
This is how the image appeared straight out of the camera prior to post-processing:
Step 3: Use the dehaze feature in post-processing
×Don’t: Just brighten the entire image
✓Do: Dehaze the photograph first, then raise the shadows
Cirrostratus clouds frequently appear hazy due to their moisture content. If you excessively brighten the image while attempting to enhance the foreground, it may also result in blown-out highlights around the sun.
If your post-processing program includes a Dehaze tool, it’s an appropriate time to utilize it! It will enhance the outline of the halo, making it more distinct, clarify and deepen the blue of the sky, and lessen overexposed highlights simultaneously. To lighten the foreground, adjust the shadows upward.
My basic modifications using Adobe Lightroom Classic
After this, I just needed to adjust the colors to my preference.
For further advice and methods on discovering, capturing, and processing images of weather-related phenomena, consider:
Magical Winterscapes: When Diamond Dust Turns into Sun Pillars
Nailing the Drama: Waterfall Clouds
Landscape Photography: Techniques for Capturing an Approaching Storm
Quick Tips for Photographing Rainbows
Lens employed in this article
Additional ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses to contemplate:
– RF14-35mm f/4L IS USM
– RF10-20mm f/4L IS STM
– RF15-30mm f/4.6-6.3 IS STM
– (For users with APS-C cameras) RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
This webpage was generated automatically; to view the article in its initial location, you can follow the link below:
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