Flares caused by back-lighting

Photo marred by a flare

When taking a back-lit image, light may appear as a shower of rays, even when the sun has been excluded from the image. This is called a flare and is caused by light scattering on the surface of the lens when the camera is aimed towards the light source. You can eliminate flares by shading the lens with your hands or a cap so that the light does not strike the lens directly, or, if you can find a shady spot, by positioning the camera in the shade.

Photo with the flare eliminated