As I recently mentioned, I am currently obsessed with lens flare. It can add a little sparkle of magic to an otherwise ordinary photograph. I learned to love it, and wish for it to happen, when I started taking pictures with my little LOMO cameras. Their funky plastic bodies regularly allow light to seep in, creating undependable, but sometimes lovely results.
Here are a few of my favorites, where lens flare helped out in a big way.












And here is a video (that I had nothing to do with) that makes great use of the romantic, and vintage, quality that lens flare imparts.

When I found out I could take a blah, uninspired photo and add a fake-O lens flare in Photoshop I felt a little guilty, but I was excited. 

Before - OK, but a bit blah
 

After - with fake-O flare.

Much better, right?
I'm still going to seek out legitimate lens flare, resist the urge to go faux, feel guilty when I fake it, and I always love the little LOMO's,  but the fake stuff is pretty darn fun too. Sorry.