Phone Photography Contest 108 | Lens Flare

Hello, everyone! I’m writing through the Feel Good community to submit my entry for Week 108 of the Hive Phone Photography Contest. This time, I want to share some photos that aren’t perfect, but I really like the effect they have, especially because of where I took them. Those who follow me will have noticed that I’ve been using the same phone for a while now. It still works fine, but with every update, the night photos have gotten worse, especially when there’s a lot of light. Usually, those flashes of light caused by headlights shining brightly in night shots bother me, but today is the exception.

That night, Caracas was brightly lit, especially this area, Plaza Diego Ibarra, where the Basilica of Santa Teresa and the Torres del Silencio rise imposingly behind the plaza’s fountain. There were many colors, mainly the white of the large streetlights, but the tricolor of our flag also stood out on both towers. Although it can be controlled somewhat, I really liked how the lines of light shot out strongly from the fountain, so I decided to leave these images as they are; they seem to be the only ones that haven’t bothered me with this defect caused by the interaction between the camera lens and the light.

I don't know if these will be to everyone's taste who posts their photos on Hive—there are some real artists here who give their all in every image and it seems my phone gets a bit of astigmatism at night 😅 but I found the contrast interesting and different from what I usually post. Plus, lately I’ve been trying not to take too many nighttime photos, so I have to find a way to keep my passion alive while I wait for new gear—which will take a while for various reasons.

These imperfections in my lens, so to speak, don’t bother me when the spaces are wide open and beautiful; besides, there was some water on the ground, which reflected the glow of so many colorful lights even more beautifully. That night I was in high spirits and went out for a long walk; I walked from the Parque Central Towers to the Torres del Silencio, passing through Plaza La Candelaria, where I took the two photos of those flowers in front of the façade of the Church of Our Lady of La Candelaria. Yes, it was Holy Week, and there were lots of people in the streets; after all, it was vacation season here in Venezuela.

I usually find this glare annoying, and I don’t know about you, but when I have migraine attacks, I often see flashes like these at night. It usually bothers me, which is why I hate seeing it, even in photographs, but the good news is that I’ve been feeling well for a while now; exercise has significantly reduced my headaches, and I’m at a point where I find beauty even in imperfections. I don’t know if you like images like these, but this is what I wanted to share with the community this week 🙏 Thanks to everyone who values and supports my content on Hive—I’m sending you a heartfelt hug, and of course, I’ll see you in the comments...