Do you use Halation? | Fstoppers

If you want a warm film effect for your photos or videos, you might want to consider one of the easiest ways to get closer to the movie effect. That’s halation, or slight bloom, and I’ll show you how it’s done through a diffusion filter.

What is halation?

Halation is a photographic effect that can add a feeling of nostalgia and warmth to a photo or video. It is often combined with the look and feel of film and can be used to give digital images a more analog feel. You can achieve this kind of “bloom” or haloing through diffuse filters for your camera lens.

How can I achieve Halation?

Condensation occurs due to light reflected on the surface of the film emulsion and the film substrate. This creates a halo or beam of light around bright objects in the image. This effect is more apparent in film than in digital images, as film has higher light sensitivity and lower dynamic range. However, you can achieve halation through a number of ways.

1. Digital photographers and videographers can achieve a halation version through diffusion filter. In the video, I talk about the diffuser filter for the lens, which provides varying degrees of flare. I test two popular brands and even two different lens settings, such as 1/4 stop diff and 1/2 stop diff.
2. Another common method is to use a lens with a wide aperture, such as f/1.4 or f/2.8. This allows more light to enter the camera and can create halos around bright objects in the image.
3. You can also add halation in post-production using software like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. In these programs, you can use the “lens blur” or “Gaussian blur” tools to create halos around bright objects in your image. This can be tweaked to your liking.

Overall, halation can help create a more film-like look in photos or videos by adding a sense of nostalgia and warmth. It can also help draw the viewer’s attention to specific elements in the photo. If I take pictures digitally, I like the simplest method the diffuse filter.

In summary, halation can be a powerful tool for adding a sense of nostalgia and warmth to digital images and can help create more film-like images. With a little experimentation, you can use it to add a unique touch to your photos and videos.