Photo Tips

Sun Flare Photography: Lose the Training Wheels!

Me Ra Koh

Oh my goodness, it was one of the best parent moments ever! Pascaline jumped off her bike and ran over to me with the biggest hug!Β  I told her I was super proud of her, and without skipping a beat she said “I’m proud of myself mama!”

When dad got home, we had to show him what exciting things had been happening. The lighting was to die for with sunset in progress. (in fact, the shots above are from sunset. I decided not to bring the camera out until she was feeling more confident and wanted her picture taken.)

Here she is…riding into the sunset! You’ve got to love that sun flare! Too fun!

Love this Sun Flare Photography Tip from Me Ra Koh

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  1. Lauren says:

    Way to go Pascaline!!!! That’s so exciting!!!

    THANK YOU for posting the sunflare lesson! I am going to try that out! Now to get out my lens hood and find some sunbeams. πŸ™‚

  2. jennifer says:

    What a great feeling!! I remember when my daughter finally took of the training wheels πŸ™‚ Now when it’s time for her to try something new and she’s a little afraid – I always refer back to the bike riding lesson for encouragement.

    Thank you for sharing the sun flare – Can’t wait to go practice with it – I’ve been trying to capture it but have not been successful yet πŸ™‚ Guess it’s time to get back on the bike.

  3. tracie says:

    beeeeeautiful shots!!! not only do they inspire me to better my photography … they make we want to get my 6-year old piper off her training wheels!! thanks for the great post …

  4. gina says:

    mera!!! did you know that i was just about to email you to help me with this specific assignment? you READ MY MIND!! thank you SO MUCH!! i am going to try it this weekend… btw, i have your dvds, would you consider doing a “beyond the green box, part 2”?

  5. Sarah-Ji says:

    Congrats, Pascaline! What a thrilling achievement! And how fortunate to have it documented so beautifully. I LOVE sun flare shots, although I’ve never fully understood how they work. So that’s what the lens hood is for, huh?

    Here’s one I got Sunday night at a street festival. The sun just looked so lovely…above the line of port-a-potties!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/2665915663/

    And a more subtle one of a Chicago cowboy:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/2665894009/

  6. Congrats Pascaline! Awesome shots too! I love the vintage look. Well done!

  7. Surya says:

    Blaze might enjoy a balance bike. We got one for our son (now 2.5) this winter and he cruises on that thing. My husband even takes him on simple single track around here and they have a blast. He is learning how to balance and pick up his feet to coast along without having to worry about the pedaling right away. We picked up a strider, but there are a number of brands. There are a few pictures of the kids riding on our blog.

    Figured I would share something our family is really enjoying!

  8. Denise says:

    Oh I can’t wait to try this! GO pascaline for learning to ride her bike so well!! They both look adorable on their bikes. Thank you Brian, The new Batman movie should NOT be ignored… I totally want to see it – Batman Begins was SO GOOD!

  9. Anne Reuter says:

    Hi Mera,

    love love love your blog and all you do.. i’ve seen the trailor to destination maui and i was wondering if there’s gonna be a dvd on which we can see how you work. You are for me the greatest and what is greater to learn from you how this business works.

    thanks so much
    anne

  10. jeramy says:

    cute shots!

    that’s my downfall as a father….my 9 year old can’t ride a bike without training wheels yet. i had pushed these feelings away and moved on, but after reading this post, they all came rushing back.

    thank you. πŸ™‚

  11. Awesome! Can’t wait to see that day myself! For now though, I’ll just have to make do with the new Batman movie tonight. Thanks for the reminder, Brian! πŸ™‚

  12. What a great day for Pascaline! I love your step by step prcoess for the sun flare. I’ve been trying to get the look, but hadn’t gotten it right yet. Thank you!

  13. Michelle says:

    How fun for Pascaline..and you too. Love the photos, thanks so much for giving us the recipe for sun flare. Can’t wait to try it out.
    Jeramy..your comments totally got me. I have been feeling like a failure as a mom since my six year old can’t swim or ride a bike without training wheels yet. My husband tells me it is because I hover too much!

  14. Katie says:

    YEAH PASCALINE!!!
    I remember when I learned to ride a bike. I taught myself. We had a small ramp from the front door step to the driveway. So I would start up by the step and ride my bike down the ramp across the drive way and onto the grass where I would fall. I did that enough that finally I didn’t fall and so my bike riding began. (I think I was 10 years old by the way, if that makes anyone feel better).

    So much fun. Photos are awesome.

  15. Michelle says:

    WAY TO GO PASCALINE!!!! You have every reason to be proud of yourself!!!!

    Sorry, Brian, no Batman for me – Mamma Mia opened today, too!!! πŸ™‚ This Dancing Queen is headed out in an hour to watch it! πŸ™‚ LOL

  16. Christina says:

    Congrats to your big girl!
    Thank you for sharing this sunflare tip…I adore flare and have been trying to capture it but failing. Now I know what I’ve been doing wrong – can’t wait for the sun to rise in the morning to try it out. πŸ™‚

  17. Angie says:

    Hi! First of all, let me say that I have your DVD and read your blog all the time! One of these days I WILL be attending a workshop…I don’t know if that is a promise or a threat! LOL!

    At any rate, I am a beginner and have a question. Do you reccommend a company/website to print my photos? I have been using the “normal” places such as snapfish, shutterfly, ect. but would like a higher quality option. I am not always happy with how they turn out. Do you have any advice? I would really appreciate it!!

  18. Jess Niles says:

    Angie- I use http://www.SmugMug.com for their printing services.
    Excellent prices and quality. Check ’em out!

  19. Sarah-Ji says:

    Angie, I use http://www.mpix.com for printing if someone’s actually buying a print from me. For personal stuff that I give to the grandmas or for family albums, I use either Ritz or Costco. Costco actually prints on Fuji Crystal archival paper and only charges $1.49 for an 8×10 or 8×12 with free lustre coating.

  20. Me Ra Koh says:

    Great question Angie! Printing is literally the second half of a photo. If the photo is composed well but the print job stinks, the photo ends up stinking too!

    Brian and I use Pictage (www.pictage.com) for all our printing needs. They are a pro lab and do wonderful work for us. But the other great thing about Pictage is their community of photographers. The community alone is worth joining. Hope that helps!

  21. […] on your subject if they are moving toward you or away from you. For photo examples, go back to the Training Wheels post! These photos were all shot in AI Servo mode. Or here is a favorite wedding […]