Growing up in the rain shadows of the Pacific Northwest, I am certainly well-acquainted and familiar with less-than-stellar weather. The region boasts an annual forecast of more than six months of precipitous conditions. Therefore, I frequently look to incorporate the moody and melancholic elements that are inherent to where I was raised. One of my favorites is fog photography.
Just like a fresh coat of snow, a blanket of low fog through the trees will completely transform your location into an ethereal scene. Some of my most dramatic portfolio and commercial pieces were created under these conditions. Although, before we jump into fog photography, we have to understand what it is and how it is formed.
How Does Fog Occur?
At its most basic explanation, fog is just a type of cloud that covers the ground and areas of lower elevation. Fog and mist primarily exist due to two prevailing factors: atmospheric cooling and relative humidity. Since fog is a ground-level phenomenon, it requires a low-lying concentration of water vapor or droplets in the air (humidity). Also, the air temperature must cool to less than 5 degrees (Fahrenheit) of the local dew point. Since the dew point — or saturation point — is associated with relative humidity and is a surface-level observation, its interaction with cooling air temperatures is imperative for the formation of fog and mist.
To put it simply: As the air temperature cools to a certain level (within 5 degrees of dew point temperature), it mixes with the ground-level concentration of evaporated water (humidity). Then, under the right circumstances, fog is formed!
Now that we have a basic and cursory understanding of fog and mist, let’s jump into why you might want to chase these conditions for your next photography adventure.
Types of Fog Photos
In photography, light dictates everything — from the technical in-camera aspects to the underrated element of storytelling. If you are looking to generate some “mood” in your portfolio pieces, the two most essential elements are low light and low clouds. There is no better time to witness this convergence of illumination and atmosphere than in the early mornings. Since the coolest part of the day is just prior to sunrise, you already have one of the conditions present that was mentioned above as being essential for fog formation.
I would estimate that at least 90 percent of the foggy images that I’ve ever shot have been taken just before or after sunrise. This fuels my desire to keep setting those early alarms. When I head out to (hopefully) photograph fog and mist, there are two types of fog conditions that I am typically targeting. When I am adventuring to an alpine lake for sunrise, I am on the hunt for evaporation, or steam fog. If we are spending a morning in the mountains, I am hoping to see ground, or upslope fog.
Steam Fog
Steam fog usually requires it to be windless. Therefore, it generally assists with one of the most spectacular things to witness in landscape photography — a reflective lake surface. As cool, dry air moves across the humid surface of water, a mythical-looking misty fog will roll over the top of the water. Even if you think you’ve gotten “the shot” under these conditions, keep shooting. These scenes are always so dynamic and seem to change minute by minute, before eventually fading forever.
Upslope Fog
Upslope fog does not require the same delicate convergence as lake fog, but it can be just as spectacular. I prefer this type of atmosphere when I’m in the mountains or at an elevated vantage point. This is because it’s a true dream to look down from the bird’s eye perspective as this unfolds. If witnessed from above, ground fog can isolate and compartmentalize forests into a constellation of treetops floating across a sea of white clouds. If viewed from the surface level, the supernatural vibes are ramped up as the ground fog obscures visibility, creating ghost-like silhouettes.
Tips for Fog Photography
Let’s say you find yourself at the lake’s edge, or on top of a ridge line, with the above conditions. What do you do now? There are no ardent rules about how you should creatively approach these fantastic scenes. Although, I’ve compiled a few tips to help you get that portfolio piece you’ve always hoped to have!
Wake Up Early
If you are explicitly looking to photograph foggy conditions, I cannot impart the importance highly enough of simply waking up early. As mentioned above, the coolest part of the day is just before the sun rises. This means half of your atmospheric conditions are already in place.
Long Exposure is Your Friend
If you have a tripod, try long exposures to smooth the fog into silky white ribbons. Check out Long Exposure Photography Tricks You Need to Know for more help on this.
Position the Sun
In order to photograph light rays, you must place the sun directly behind an object to witness the refraction of shadows and highlights. The presence of water or smoke in the air is essential for the formation of these beams.
If you are shooting ground fog photography in a forest, try using a wide angel lens, getting low, and shooting up at the cloaked canopy. This will dramatize the height of the trees around you and highlight the inverted cloud just above.
Check Your Aperture
Shooting at a wide-open aperture may make it easier to shoot handheld and help generate a more glowy effect for these scenes. Although, it can make it hard for your camera’s autofocus system to properly lock onto your intended focal point. Depending on your available light, I would try to shoot expansive foggy landscapes around f/5.6 during these conditions.
Pro tip: Try using longer focal lengths to isolate objects and dramatize the conditions at hand. If you are shooting ground fog in a forest, try using a wide-anglel lens, getting low, and shooting up at the cloaked canopy. This will dramatize the height of the trees around you and highlight the inverted cloud above.
Remember to Edit
When editing in Lightroom, try bumping up the “Whites” in the Basic Adjustment Panel, and the “Light” in the Tone Curve Panel. This will greatly help your fog pop off of the computer screen.
Bring in a Subject
Highlight the human element or an architectural feature to create emotion and narratives in your images. If you are shooting steam fog at a lake and want to place a subject in your photo, try putting them completely in the white band of mist that is above the surface. This will help them from oddly dissecting the reflection or getting lost in the scene behind them.
Keep Shooting
Even if you get an amazing shot, keep shooting! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been very pleased with what I have procured, only to see it dwarfed by something else happening even minutes later. Maybe the light shifts across your scene, the fog twists around your point of focus perfectly, or you happen on an unforgettable wildlife encounter. Anything can happen and, when you find yourself with these types of conditions in front of you, just have fun and keep making images and memories.
