What is this blue mist?

[isishao]

<p><a href="http://isishao.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8189968">http://isishao.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8189968</a><br>

Look at this sequence of photos, can anyone tell me what the blue mist is? <br>

All the picture information is posted, I was using a Nikon d3000, hand-held..</p>

[juhaniv]

<p>I believe it is an internal reflection inside your lens. The bright light coming through the tree branches causes some reflections in you lens and/or filter. Removing filter from the lens (if you are using one) may help, but may not remove it completely.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Looks like ghosting flare. The strong backlighting through the trees is a classic scenario for producing both veiling and ghosting flare. It would usually be a little more well defined with discernible rounded edges, but it depends on several factors.</p>

<p>If you're using any non-essential filters, such as UV or haze filters, remove 'em when shooting into the light. If you need the filter - a polarizer, for example - you'll need to take extra precautions to shield stray light when the hood isn't enough. Use a dark cap, your hand, whatever you have.</p>

[ben_goren]

<p>Another vote for flare with strong suspicions of a filter on the front of the lens that shouldn’t

have been.</p>

 

<p>I’d also suggest looking for fingerprints (<i>etc.</i>) on the lens / filters. I suspect there

might be a faint smudge which normally isn’t visible but which got lit up when the direct sunlight

fell on it.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

[john_a5]

<p>It does seem to move around a bit, so don't discount something that flew onto the front of the lens. I was shooting in Glacier and there were tons of gnats, I ended up with little light streaks in the film not totally unlike this, except they were brighter because they were in full sun, backlit. I could actually see them when I was setting up and so knew what they were immediately when I saw the film.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>+1 for flare. </p>

<p>Follow the shadow line; see how moving along such a line from the ghost to the brightest portion of the picture is similar? See how the shape of the ghost is similar to part of the very bright highlights? </p>

<p>For its moving up and down in the frame, see how the camera angle has changed slightly in those photos? Like, when the ghost is more centered, vertically, the camera angle is more level? </p>

<p>Ghosts and flares are often about angles. They often occur when light glances into the lens assembly at a tight angle. There could have been a smudge to light up on the lens surface; but that would again be because light was striking the face of the lens in a way that would brighten it up. If there was a smudge, and all of the light was on-axis, it would cast a grayish shadow, just like a piece of dust. </p>

[isishao]

<p>Awesome thanks for your input you guys, yeah I had on a Hoya UV filter, might have been kinda dirty and there were plenty of gnats.. Yeah I was looking at it this morning and I realized that the shape stays pretty much the same. Dang I was hoping it was a ghost, oh well.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for your help!</p>

[steven_f1]

<p>Dirt on filters can cause lots of porblems. Once I found I had barely visable film on the filter that made flare a big problem. If you suspect dirt on your filter remove the filter and clean it. Soap and water works well.</p>

[isishao]

<p>Thanks for all your responses, very helpful and informative. Yeah most likely it was dirt or some other crap on my filter, I have to learn to be more clean...</p>