As I went out for an early shoot last week I was pleased to find that the early morning mist (or fog) had returned. It is not near as frequent in the heat of summer. Foggy/misty mornings are probably my favorite shooting condition.
A couple comments on shooting fog.
- Generally setting your exposure compensation to +2/3 or +1 is best to keep the fog from being underexposed. Check your histogram.
- A little color in fog is very good thing. Sometimes it is naturally there: yellow from the sunrise or blue from twilight. A little magenta added via a filter or post-processing can be nice as well.
- Take advantage of the background separation that fog or mist provides. Trees that never stood out because of background clutter can suddenly be outstanding.
- If the subject is too far into the fog it can quickly loose its impact. Move in closer. Use a wider lens if necessary (or zoom less – often the case).
- We tend to see more depth and contrast then you will in the photograph. I find this even more so when shooting in fog. Closing one eye always helps.
- Objects staggered back into the mist create a great deal of depth.
Click on the blog image to see a gallery that illustrates many of these points. Or click here. Especially note the different color hues the fog takes on. It is often related to the surroundings.
