Photographing in Fog

Fog flattens contrast, dilutes colours and erases backgrounds — constraints that, used well, become the very strength of this type of image rather than an obstacle to work around.

Correcting exposure, just like with snow

A foggy scene, overwhelmingly bright and low in contrast, fools automatic metering exactly the way a snowy scene does : the camera tends to underexpose, making the fog look greyer and duller than it really is. A slight positive exposure correction restores the soft, milky brightness characteristic of fog.

Composing in planes that dissolve

Fog naturally creates depth in layers : a sharp subject in the foreground, a silhouette that fades a little further away, then a background that disappears entirely. Looking for several planes staggered this way through the mist gives a far richer image than a subject isolated against a simply white, empty background.

A simple, almost isolated subject

Fog erases unnecessary detail — a lone tree, a silhouette, a lighthouse, stand out all the better for being alone in the frame. It’s one of the rare contexts where a very stripped-back, almost minimalist composition consistently works better than a busy scene.

Watching for rays breaking through the mist

When a ray of sunlight pierces the fog, it becomes visible as a beam of light crossing the moisture-laden air — a spectacular but fleeting effect, which calls for being ready to shoot the moment it appears rather than searching for it afterwards.