Strange splotches in photograph?

[Purple Iguana]

Hey folks, I've just recently gotten into photography and everything (for the most part) has been going fine. Unfortunately, I have been having this weird problem where the images I capture end up having these odd greenish splotches on them. Usually this occurs when I am in low-light. Also, the images attached have been bumped up around 1-2 stops.

This is the most noticeable photo I have seen.

There is a green splotch across her collar

Faintly the same issue with this photo as well up and around her collar.

So what is the problem? Thanks for any help...

 

[Derrel]

I am going to say that is lens flare, which is often a greenish blob. The color and shape of flare depends on the lens design and manufacture. Shooting toward bright areas, like bright sky, or the sun, or bright lamps (street, stadium, stage) can cause this type of lens flare. Shooting toward the light when the subject is dark in tone, or in dimmer lighting conditions, makes the flare very visible many times. The old term would call this a "bright light source seen against a dark field"...the dark field being the areas of the image that are not lighted.

Different lenses react differently when shot toward the light. it is not only shooting right, directly AT the light: in many lenses, a bright light source that is hitting at a glancing angle can cause bad flares!

See if you can find a Ken Rockwell review of your lens; ken tests every lens for flare when shot toward the light. Some lenses are very weak when shot toward the light, some are very strong, most are somewhere in-between.

 

[Purple Iguana]

I am going to say that is lens flare, which is often a greenish blob.

That was my original assumption also. However, wouldn't a lens hood (which I had on at the time) stop lens flare from happening?

 

[The_Traveler]

Usually this occurs when I am in low-light. Also, the images attached have been bumped up around 1-2 stops.

You are added 'exposure' to the shadows and thus magnifying any shadow noise or defect.
Try exposing for the subject or shooting with a wide bracket to capture foreground and background with decent exposure and merging them.

 

[Purple Iguana]

Try exposing for the subject or shooting with a wide bracket to capture foreground and background with decent exposure and merging them.

Thank you for the clarification. So it would have been better for me to use spot-metering?

 

[Gary A.]

Usually, lens flare is more distinct and your issues (#1) seems more globbish. I'm sort tending to agree with Traveler with underexposure .... But then one would think it would be in all the shadows. How does a normally exposed image appear?

A lens hood does not completely stop flare. It is effective against light coming in from the edges but not light coming in directly into the lens.

 

[Purple Iguana]

How does a normally exposed image appear?

Although I do not have a picture, as I am on my mobile right now, I have seen the same effect in properly exposed images. Also, the same splotches were fairly visible in the image before I increased the exposure in post.

 

[Designer]

The lens hood only narrows the stream of light coming into your lens, it doesn't (can't) block light coming straight in.

I wonder what lens you are using (whether it is coated or not coated) and what, if anything else is on the front of the lens, such as an extra filter for instance.

 

[Purple Iguana]

I wonder what lens you are using (whether it is coated or not coated) and what, if anything else is on the front of the lens, such as an extra filter for instance.

I am using a panasonic 14-42 mm kit lens with a polaroid filter that came with the kit. I surmised it may be the filter, but I'm not very knowledgeable about filters.

 

[480sparky]

It's due to a reflection of light caused by the filter you have in front of your lens.

Take the first image and rotate it 180°. You'll see the blotches line up perfectly with the bright areas in the opposite direction of the blotches.

I took the liberty of loading one of your images into my software, creating two layers. One, the way you posted it, and the other layer rotated to 180°. After a bit of shifting one layer around (probably due to your cropping), I did a screen capture video to bear this out.

As I toggle between the two layers, you'll see the blotch lines up perfectly with the bright area. I also adjust the opacity of the top layer a bit at a time and you'll see the blotch is exactly the same shape as the bright area.





Just take the filter off your lens and this should disappear.

Reflective flare is very easy to identify if you simply keep in mind to look at the image rotated 180°.

 

[Purple Iguana]

Thank you very much! I was thinking it was the filter, but I've been deathly afraid of scratching my actual lens. It looks like I'll just have to buy a higher quality filter.

 

[480sparky]

Thank you very much! I was thinking it was the filter, but I've been deathly afraid of scratching my actual lens. It looks like I'll just have to buy a higher quality filter.

Lose the filter altogether and use your hood.

 

[The_Traveler]

Front Element Scratches

You aren't doing this exceedingly beautiful woman justice.
Expose for the skin, focus on her eyes, watch the background light and distracting elements.

 

[Designer]

Thank you very much! I was thinking it was the filter, but I've been deathly afraid of scratching my actual lens. It looks like I'll just have to buy a higher quality filter.

Here; grab a beverage of your choice and watch this:

Just how much abuse can a Canon lens take? Watch this torture test! (VIDEO)

 

[Purple Iguana]

Front Element Scratches

You aren't doing this exceedingly beautiful woman justice.
Expose for the skin, focus on her eyes, watch the background light and distracting elements.

Thank you for the critique and tips. I know I have a lot to work on.