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Photo Tips & Techniques

As I was beginning to become serious about my photography, one of the first "special effects" filters I purchased was a cross star. For the next three months, it remained permanently affixed to  the end of my lens as I continuously looked for sources of light maximizing its effect. Its intrigue began to wear off and soon the filter was stuffed in a drawer. Yet, like an old friend, I revisited it. This time, I was more discreet with its use realizing it had its place and could be very effective in given circumstances with certain subject matter.

Cross star filters add sparkle to night shots in addition to anything that emits pin point sources of light. Candle lights, bridges, headlights, and streetlights are great subject matter. Cross star filters are manufactured to produce four, six, or eight points of light. The brighter the sources of light, the more pronounced are the lines. Additionally, the greater the numbers of pinpoint light sources, the greater the numbers of lines that are produced.

In the before and after images shown here, there are two main points of light where the sun is reflected in the headlight. These are creating the main diagonal lines that appear in the image. The burst at the top of the headlight is more subdued because the points of light are closer together producing a broader light source.  Always keep in mind that a cross star filter¹s effect will be more prominent if the source of light is both intense and pinpoint.

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