How to Add Starburst in Lightroom

(Last updated on October 9th, 2023)

Short Summary

In this article, you will learn how to add starburst in lightroom, a photo editing technique that creates a star-like pattern of rays from a bright light source. Here are the main steps and tips for adding starburst in lightroom:

• Choose a photo with a strong and clear light source, such as the sun, a street lamp, or a candle.
• Use a smaller aperture (higher f-number) and a slower shutter speed (lower number) to create more diffraction and motion blur in the light source.
• Use the radial filter tool to isolate the light source and increase the clarity and dehaze sliders to enhance the contrast and definition of the starburst rays.
• Fine-tune the color and brightness of the starburst using the temperature, tint, exposure, and highlights sliders.
• Experiment with different settings and photos to create your own starburst effects in lightroom.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how some photographers create stunning photos with beautiful starburst effects? A starburst effect is when a bright light source, such as the sun, a street lamp, or a candle, creates a star-like pattern of rays that radiate from it. This effect can add drama, interest, and sparkle to your photos, especially in landscape, cityscape, or night photography.

In this article, I will show you how to add starburst in lightroom, a powerful photo editing software that can create this effect easily. You will learn how to choose a suitable photo, adjust the aperture and shutter speed settings, apply radial filter and adjust clarity and dehaze sliders, and fine-tune the color and brightness of the starburst. By following these simple steps, you will be able to create your own starburst effects in lightroom in no time.

Step 1: Choose a photo with a bright light source

The first step is to choose a photo that has a strong and clear light source that you want to turn into a starburst. The light source should be relatively small and isolated from the background, so that it can create distinct and sharp rays. For example, the sun, a street lamp, or a candle are good candidates for starburst effect. However, a large or diffuse light source, such as the sky, a window, or a firework, may not produce the desired effect.

The size and shape of the light source will also affect the appearance of the starburst. A smaller light source will create more pronounced and sharper rays, while a larger light source will create more subtle and softer rays. The shape of the light source will determine the number and angle of the rays. For example, a circular light source will create an even number of rays that are evenly spaced, while an oval or rectangular light source will create an odd number of rays that are unevenly spaced.

Step 2: Adjust the aperture and shutter speed settings

The next step is to adjust the aperture and shutter speed settings in lightroom to create the starburst effect. The aperture is the opening in the lens that controls how much light enters the camera. The shutter speed is the duration that the shutter remains open to expose the sensor to light. These two settings work together to determine the exposure and depth of field of the photo.

To create starburst effect, you need to use a smaller aperture (higher f-number) and a slower shutter speed (lower number). A smaller aperture will create more diffraction, which is when light bends around the edges of the aperture blades. This diffraction will create the star-like pattern of rays that we want. A slower shutter speed will create more motion blur, which will make the rays softer and smoother.

However, using a smaller aperture and a slower shutter speed will also affect the exposure and depth of field of the photo. A smaller aperture will reduce the amount of light entering the camera, resulting in a darker photo. A slower shutter speed will increase the amount of light entering the camera, resulting in a brighter photo. Therefore, you need to balance these two settings to achieve the correct exposure for your photo. You can use the histogram or the exposure slider in lightroom to check if your photo is overexposed (too bright) or underexposed (too dark).

The depth of field is the area in front of and behind the focal point that appears sharp in the photo. A smaller aperture will increase the depth of field, making more objects in focus. A larger aperture will decrease the depth of field, making fewer objects in focus. Depending on your creative vision, you may want to have a shallow or deep depth of field for your photo. For example, if you want to isolate your subject from the background, you may want to use a larger aperture to create a shallow depth of field. If you want to show more details in your scene, you may want to use a smaller aperture to create a deep depth of field.

Here are some tips on how to adjust the aperture and shutter speed settings for starburst effect:

• Start with an aperture value of f/16 or higher. This will ensure that you have enough diffraction to create visible rays.
• Adjust your shutter speed according to your lighting conditions and desired motion blur effect. If your scene is bright, you may need to use a faster shutter speed to avoid overexposing your photo. If your scene is dark, you may need to use a slower shutter speed to avoid underexposing your photo. If you want to create more motion blur in your rays, you may want to use a slower shutter speed. If you want to create less motion blur in your rays, you may want to use a faster shutter speed.
• Use a tripod or a stable surface to avoid camera shake. Since you are using a slower shutter speed, any movement of the camera will cause blur in your photo. To prevent this, you need to keep your camera steady by using a tripod or placing it on a stable surface.
• Experiment with different aperture and shutter speed combinations to see how they affect the starburst effect. You may find that different settings produce different results depending on your light source and scene.

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Step 3: Apply radial filter and adjust clarity and dehaze sliders

The third step is to use the radial filter tool in lightroom to isolate the light source and apply adjustments to it. The radial filter tool allows you to create a circular or elliptical mask that you can resize, rotate, and feather to fit the light source. You can then use the adjustment sliders to enhance the contrast and definition of the starburst rays.

To use the radial filter tool, follow these steps:

• Select the radial filter tool from the toolbar or press Shift+M on your keyboard.
• Click and drag on your photo to create a radial mask around the light source. You can resize, rotate, and feather the mask by using the handles on the edges and corners of the mask.
• Invert the mask by checking the Invert box at the bottom of the panel. This will apply the adjustments to the area inside the mask instead of outside.
• Adjust the clarity and dehaze sliders to enhance the starburst effect. The clarity slider increases or decreases the contrast and sharpness of midtones in your photo. The dehaze slider removes or adds haze or fog in your photo. By increasing both sliders, you can make the starburst rays more visible and defined.

Here are some examples of how different settings of clarity and dehaze sliders affect the starburst effect:

• Clarity: 0, Dehaze: 0
• Clarity: 50, Dehaze: 0
• Clarity: 0, Dehaze: 50
• Clarity: 50, Dehaze: 50

Step 4: Fine-tune the color and brightness of the starburst

The final step is to fine-tune the color and brightness of the starburst using the temperature, tint, exposure, and highlights sliders. The temperature slider adjusts the overall color temperature of your photo, making it warmer (more yellow) or cooler (more blue). The tint slider adjusts the overall color tint of your photo, making it more magenta or more green. The exposure slider adjusts the overall brightness of your photo, making it lighter or darker. The highlights slider adjusts the brightness of the brightest areas of your photo, making them more or less prominent.

By adjusting these sliders, you can change the color and brightness of the starburst to match the mood and tone of your photo. For example, if you want to create a warm and cozy atmosphere, you may want to increase the temperature and tint sliders to make the starburst more yellow and magenta. If you want to create a cool and calm atmosphere, you may want to decrease the temperature and tint sliders to make the starburst more blue and green.

Here are some examples of how different settings of temperature, tint, exposure, and highlights sliders affect the starburst effect:

• Temperature: 0, Tint: 0, Exposure: 0, Highlights: 0
• Temperature: +20, Tint: +10, Exposure: +0.5, Highlights: +50
• Temperature: -20, Tint: -10, Exposure: -0.5, Highlights: -50

Conclusion

Adding starburst in lightroom is a fun and easy way to enhance your photos with beautiful light effects. By following these four steps, you can create stunning starburst effects in lightroom in no time:

• Choose a photo with a bright light source
• Adjust the aperture and shutter speed settings
• Apply radial filter and adjust clarity and dehaze sliders
• Fine-tune the color and brightness of the starburst

I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new today. I encourage you to experiment with different settings and photos to create your own starburst effects in lightroom. You will be amazed by how much difference a little starburst can make in your photos.

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