what does a lens hood do

A lens hood mainly blocks stray light from hitting the front of the lens, which helps reduce lens flare and keep contrast higher in your photos.

What it does

A hood acts like a visor for your lens, especially when you’re shooting toward bright light or the sun. It can also add a bit of physical protection for the front element from bumps, fingers, and light impacts.

When it helps most

• Bright daylight.
• Backlit scenes.
• Any situation where flare or washed-out contrast is showing up in the image.

Simple example

If you point your camera toward the sun without a hood, you may get a hazy look or bright streaks across the frame. With a hood on, more of that off- angle light gets blocked before it reaches the lens.

If you want, I can also explain when not to use a lens hood.