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A Weekly Column By Mike Johnston Of the many technical concepts in photography that flummox photographers, flare does not rank very highly. We all believe we have a pretty good idea of what it is — non-image-forming light coming through the lens. (As such, it's distinct from "fogging," which refers to extraneous light that gets to the film from some other source.) Flare, however, when we consider it more carefully, is a remarkably fugitive concept. First of all there are two main kinds: "veiling glare," which is an overall cast or softening of contrast, and "ghosts," which are more localized marks and reflections. Both are "flare." Yet, as w...

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