Controlled light glow / flair / stain

[Marta Teixeira P. Simoes]

Hello! This is my very first attempt of participation in a forum, so I hope I'm following the rules and that this answer wasn't replied a million times before.

I'm currently preparing a short film and there's one particular scene where I would love to guarantee the kind of effect you see in the image attached - this kind of light "stain" that invades the picture on the right side.

 

The scene I'm shooting is a woman staring into a mirror in a medium-sized public bathroom. The camera will be pointed at the mirror so what we see is her reflection. I was thinking of having a fluorescent tube as a key light above the mirror and then maybe carefully place a lamp closer to the lens to get this effect? The idea is that what's giving this light flair is the light above the mirror.

 

Any thoughts on how could I achieve something similar? And is it also a matter of the kind of lens I'm using?

 

Thank you in advance!

Marta

[Stuart Brereton]

That looks like veiling glare from a large, bright source. It often happens when you have bright windows in frame, or just out of frame. I would try using some kind of soft source, just above the frame. You’ll probably need to experiment with the position to get the effect you want. Your choice of lens will be a big factor as well, as most modern lens are deliberately coated to reduce flare of this kind.

[Satsuki Murashige]

Hi Marta, welcome to the forum!

Three additional things to think about:

1. You need dark areas of the frame in order to see the veiling glare. The flare will be white, so you need to place it against something dark to get this effect. So with that in mind, I would consider lighting the scene differently. Start by studying your reference image and think of ways you can recreate that. 

2. Since you will be shooting into a mirror, the best place to put your bright light source to flare the lens would actually be behind your subject, over their shoulder. This way you can get a better angle to aim the light into the lens. You might even be able to put it into the shot, out of focus. If there is a bright window behind the actor, even better.

3. Using a filter like a Tiffen Low Con will create additional veiling glare and blooming around bright sources. This can help you get the effect if your lenses aren’t creating enough on their own.

[Marta Teixeira P. Simoes]

Hello everyone! What a great welcome, thank you so much for the quick answers and good advice.

I think I have a better idea of where to start now. The project is still a month away, but I will plan this scene keeping your advice in mind and discuss these ideas with the gaffer.