The invention, in various exemplary embodiments, incorporates a photonic crystal lens element into an image sensor. The photonic crystal lens element comprises a substrate and a plurality of pillars forming a photonic crystal structure over the substrate. The pillars are spaced apart from each other. Each pillar has a height and a horizontal cross sectional shape. A material with a different dielectric constant than the pillars is provided within the spacing between the pillars. The photonic crystal element can be a lens configured to focus electromagnetic radiation onto an underlying pixel cell.