user2066: Can anyone give me some tips on simulating a camera flash in After Effects. I am trying to make it keyframing the scale and opacity of a white shape layer but I can't get it to look right.

user3338: In After Effects, there is an effect Exposure that controls the exposure of the layer. You could probably use that instead of a white shape layer.

user923: As a photographer, a flash is simply a very short burst of white light (as you're no doubt aware). The maximum time at full power is usually around 1/250th of a second, which is equal to 1/10th of a frame. In that case, if you were to accurately represent a flash being fired, you would simply boost the exposure of a single frame by several stops (to make it almost completely white, whilst retaining a little bit of detail).
Something as simple as this would suffice.

For one frame.

If you really wanted to be technically accurate, you could simulate the CMOS flicker of a flash by only boosting the exposure on a horizontal portion of the frame, say the top 2/3rds or something.

2066: <p>Can anyone give me some tips on simulating a camera flash in After Effects. I am trying to make it keyframing the scale and opacity of a white shape layer but I can't get it to look right.</p>
 3338: <p>In After Effects, there is an effect <code>Exposure</code> that controls the exposure of the layer. You could probably use that instead of a white shape layer.</p>
 923: <p>As a photographer, a flash is simply a very short burst of white light (as you're no doubt aware). The maximum time at full power is usually around 1/250th of a second, which is equal to 1/10th of a frame. In that case, if you were to accurately represent a flash being fired, you would simply boost the exposure of a single frame by several stops (to make it almost completely white, whilst retaining a little bit of detail).</p>

<p>Something as simple as this would suffice.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/qjGwN.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>For one frame.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/zKx91.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>If you really wanted to be technically accurate, you could simulate the CMOS flicker of a flash by only boosting the exposure on a horizontal portion of the frame, say the top 2/3rds or something.</p>
