The deflection of light by the refractive index gradients inherent in flames has long been used for characterizing flame shape and position. For planar premixed flames, the relationship between light deflection and fame structure has been resolved analytically. This paper describes the deflection of light in axially symmetrical refractive index fields, employing numerical integration for structures representative of premised flames. The results show that the deflection distribution does not tend toward the planar flame solution with increasing radius as might have been expected. The location of the peak light deflection, and hence of the Schlieren image, depends on whether the flame front curvature is concave or convex toward the hot products. In the latter case, exemplified by Bunsen burner stabilized flames, the Schlieren image veers toward room temperature as the radius increases; in the former instance, characteristic of flames expanding into reactants from central ignition or axial stabilization, it shifts toward higher temperatures, approaching the luminous front with increasing radius.