PHOTOGRAPHING THE LANDSCAPE WHATEVER THE WEATHER.- Mist & Fog -By Tony Worobiec

“The allure of mist and fog.“

The words “mist” and “fog” are frequently assumed to be the same thing, but there are subtle differences. Both mist and fog are essentially low cloud viewed at ground level, which are as a result of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. The main difference is that fog tends to be much more dense, sometimes reducing visibility to just 100 metres or more whilst a mist is a lighter haze allowing you to see further than 1000 metres.

The key however is that whether you are experiencing mist or fog, both these weather conditions offer some wonderful photographic opportunities.  Anticipating mist and fog isn’t too difficult. Your local weather station normally provides pretty accurate predictions of when it is likely to occur. Sometimes it requires being climatically aware. I do remember several years ago walking down our local high street and noticing that the cloud above me did seem to be very low. It occurred to me that if I drove to a nearby location which is several hundred feet higher I would experience a dense fog; fortunately my premonition turned out to be accurate. So, what are the visual advantages of shooting landscape in foggy conditions?

Image 1 “Beech trees at Fontmell Woods”.

Generally this is a particularly challenging location to photograph, not least because of the very busy nature of the surrounding foliage, but when viewed in dense fog it immediately becomes considerably more manageable. From an aesthetic standpoint one needs to appreciate that fog significantly reduces colour saturation, placing a much stronger emphasis on the tonal values. One often finds that images taken in fog can be very successfully converted to black and white. If however you elect to retain your photograph in colour, the hues will appear wonderfully subtle. Another feature you should also be aware of is that when photographing in foggy conditions you will encounter a visual phenomenon known as “tonal recession”. What this means is that distant features appear considerably lighter than those nearer the camera; this is especially apparent when photographing woodland in mist. The tonal interplay between branches in the foreground and the trees in the middle distance can prove particularly evocative. Because of the reduced visibility, images tend to be much more simple and graphic in nature. Trees and wooded areas generally lend themselves particularly well to being photographed in fog. A small point perhaps, but by ensuring that the branch in the foreground emanates from one of the corners, it makes the composition appear more decisive.

Image 2 “Rising sun, Sandford Woods”.

One if the great advantages of fog and mist is that you rarely need to travel very far in order to capture interesting landscape shots. This location is less than a mile from where I live. The most common type of fog is known as “radiation fog” and this usually occurs during the winter and when the air is still; it is worth noting that fog is highly unlikely to occur when it is windy. As the air cools overnight close to the surface, it is less likely to be able to absorb moisture so, when you wake up in the morning you are greeted by a low lying blanket of fog. It is important that you are able to anticipate its formation, because it can evaporate quite quickly as the sun starts to rise.  You can of course use the rising sun to your advantage! Normally it is quite challenging including the sun in your photograph, but the fog has served to mask its brilliance thus allowing me to make it a significant feature within the composition. Needless-to-say, timing is everything! This particular part of the woodland is littered with relatively unattractive, spindly birch-trees, but in these weather conditions, even they are made to look reasonably attractive.

Image 3. “Corfe Castle at dawn”.

Another distinction between “mist” and “fog” is that whilst fog is most likely to occur when we are experiencing low pressure, mist often occurs under high pressure conditions. Once again it needs to be relatively wind free. Moreover most mists tend to occur at dawn. It generally tends to be low-lying; therefore hills or tall structures often appear above it. For this photograph I needed to find a high vantage point well above the mist in order to photograph this ruin. This shot was taken pre-dawn; more often than not as soon as the sun appears over the horizon the heat it emits burns off the haze, therefore in order to take advantage of these beautiful meteorological conditions, you need to be an early riser. It is easy to assume that the lighting on the castle is as a result of the sun appearing above the horizon, but it is in fact illuminated by the bright orange part of the sky prior to the sun’s emergence.

Image 4 “Rising mist on the River Frome”

Whilst there are great opportunities for taking interesting photographs in rural settings, urban locations often offer the best opportunities, particularly when photographed at night. Wet tarmac in particular becomes more contrasty and fabulously reflective. If you can find a slightly raised vantage point, moving traffic can add further interest. Pedestrianised areas also offer rich pickings as the passing figures are so concerned about remaining dry that they are unlikely to be aware of your presence. You don’t necessarily need a torrential downpour to get a worthwhile shot in the rain. In this example there was just a light drizzle , but it was sufficient to offer a reflective surface for the gaudy neon lighting.

Image 5. “Descending mist and abandoned farm, Andalusia”

The general pattern is that fog and mist usually occur in the morning, but there are occasions when they appear in the evening as well, especially near mountainous areas. This image was taken late afternoon/ early evening in Andalusia during the month of December. High pressure had dominated, but as we approached the end of the day the moisture in the air above the mountains condensed, which could then be visibly seen tumbling down the mountain side as the temperature dropped. Essentially a fog or mist is just a very low stratus cloud, so if you are close to high ground the visual effects can be spectacular. Mountains can be especially prone to rising or falling mists.

Image 6 “Buttes, Utah”

I must give my wife Eva credit for this one. Whilst this arid part of Utah is normally very dry, the day before we arrived it had experienced rainfall. She persuaded me that it would be worth getting up at 5:30am because she guessed that the neighbouring buttes would be enveloped in a wonderful mist if we got there pre-dawn. As ever she was right! With our backs to the rising sun we marvelled at the sheer beauty of the mist developing in the river valley below the butte. As I have been at pains to point out you do need to be an early riser if you wish to encounter such wonderful scenes. The moment the sun appeared above the horizon, the mist very noticeably “melted away”.