Is getting the starburst sun shine like this photo from post processing or done at capture?

Question

I can't believe that the following photograph is without any post processing.

Is that starburst sun shine in the photograph an outcome of post processing or is it the result of a trick at capture time?

Either way, how can I get an image like that?

Answer

It can be done in post-processing, of course, but that's the result of shooting a bright light source using a very small aperture (high f-number) and having a 9-bladed iris in the lens.

Different iris shapes will show different "star" patterns. This one has 18 points, which means it came from either a 9-bladed or 18-bladed iris, and since nobody makes lenses with an 18-bladed aperture iris at the moment, it must be a 9-bladed iris. You can practice creating the effect by shooting a small light bulb or candle flame against a dark background to find out which of your lenses gives the best effect and how to control the star pattern with your aperture setting.

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