Introduction
Fog can be one of the most fun and compelling subjects to photograph. It is no wonder that the fog flows in the Bay Area attract photographers from all around during fog season, and fog chasing can easily become a bit of an obsession. Even if you aren't frantically working to capture just the right light during a spectacular flow, the fog is an amazing and inspiring sight just to enjoy and watch.
A trail of headlights adds a bit of interest as a car emerges from the fog.
Capturing the Fog
When deciding how to capture a particular fogscape, I usually think about two things (which can be quite interrelated): (1) the features and aspects of the fog I want to accentuate the most, and (2) the overall composition of the image I am trying to capture.
Figuring out aspects of the fog to accentuate, and a shutter speed
When figuring out what aspects of the fog I want to accentuate, it helps to conceptualize the fog in a couple ways, such as what I consider its micro structure and its macro structure. In this section, I'll mainly talk about how these features of the fog relate to the shutter speed that I choose because, as we'll see in the examples, the shutter speed can make a huge impact on how the fog is rendered, and the overall feel of the image.
When I think about micro structure, I am usually thinking about the fine detail in the fog, such as the peaks and texture that can develop, for example, when there is a strong cross-wind whipping across the top of a fog flow. When I think about macro structure, I am usually thinking about the larger structural features defined by the broader movement of the fog across the landscape. These larger features can appear as ribbons or streams of fog that can traverse the entire landscape.
These different types of features are important because they usually guide me when I am figuring out exactly how I want to capture the fog, and also how I want to compose the shot as will be discussed below. Particular features of the fog will usually catch my attention, and I usually build my image around them. For example, the fog might have really interesting peaks and textures that catch my attention, and I may focus on capturing those features. In another example, the fog might be flowing in an interesting pattern or shape around a mountain or valley, and I may want to focus on that larger pattern or shape.
In situations where I want to accentuate the fine structure and focus on fine detail in the fog, I keep my shutter speeds on the shorter side, and I usually use tighter compositions. However, if I want to accentuate larger structural features, such as those flowy ribbons, then I have fun really dragging out those exposures, and I use longer shutter speeds. In these situations, wider compositions are often helpful.
For shorter shutter speeds to accentuate the fine structure, there isn't really a particular shutter speed that is ideal. Just keep it short enough to capture the details with sufficient clarity so that the particular features you are focusing on are rendered with sufficient detail. Such shutter speeds can be fractions of seconds, or even 1 to 2 seconds. If you are getting into shutter speeds that are longer than that, you will most likely have some motion blur which might not be desirable if you are trying to, for example, get crisp sharp peaks in the fog.
A shorter shutter speed captures the fine structure in the fog whipped up by a strong cross-wind.
A shorter shutter speed retains texture and detail in the fog that helps accentuate how the fog was catching the light in this moment.
For longer shutter speeds to accentuate larger structural features, I use longer shutter speeds, such as those around 30 seconds or longer. I frequently use shutter speeds significantly longer, such as 60 seconds, 90 seconds, or even longer. A long shutter speed will really smooth out the fog to really bring out those flowing features that look like ribbons and rivers of fog.
A longer shutter speed blurs out the finer details in the fog, and accentuates the structure in the trees and layers in the landscape.
A longer shutter speed accentuates the bands and ribbons of fog, while smoothing out the finer structural details.
One additional consideration is that the shutter speeds mentioned above are merely guidelines, and the best way to determine what works best if to try several different shutter speeds to see what looks best to you. One of the main reasons that I also recommend experimenting with shutter speeds is that the speed of the fog will vary, so a 30 second exposure on one fog flow might look different than a 30 second exposure on another fog flow because the flows might be traveling at different speeds, and will traverse a different distance in that 30 seconds to ultimately render a different image.
Figuring out the composition of the shot
Generally speaking, when composing the shot, I try to focus on what aspects of the scene and fog are the most interesting to me, and are really driving my desire to capture the shot. I try to build the composition around those aspects and features, as well as other related features of the landscape, such as mountain peaks or trees that the fog may be interacting with. It is usually some relationship between the two that gives me the composition that I am most happy with.
Usually, if I am focusing on fine structure, and am really honing in on specific features of the fog, I am usually composing around a particular set of peaks, or a particular ridge of fog, and possibly some adjacent trees or a nearby mountain peak. Accordingly, for me, these detailed shots that focus on the finer structural features of the fog typically tend to be what might be thought of as "small scenes" that result in a focused and intimate composition that relies on the use of my telephoto lens. The exact focal length will vary depending on the landscape, but I find myself shooting between around 200mm to 300mm (on a full frame camera) quite frequently for these smaller scenes.
Here, a tight composition allows me to focus on small and intimate scene within a larger landscape.
In this example, although I went with a longer shutter speed, I was able to focus on a particular portion of a fog flow and its relationship with a particular group of trees.
If I am focusing on larger features of the fog, I am usually shooting relatively wide to capture what might be thought of as a "grand scene". Usually, the larger features of the fog require the fog to move a fair amount to really become visible, and they can be quite dramatic when viewed over a large area. As I mentioned above, the exact focal length will vary depending on the landscape, but I find myself shooting at around 50-150mm (on a full frame camera) quite frequently for these larger scenes.
Here, a wider angle gives a perspective of the fog flow that shows how expansive it is, and how the ribbons and undulations of fog seem to go on forever. The wider angle shows the sweeping arcs of fog, such as ribbons, and also illustrates patterns among them.
Another example where a wider perspective shows the larger features of the fog flow, and shows the relationship between the trees, the fog, and the sunset in the background.
I should mention that these are just general guidelines/trends that I have noticed in my own experience over time. Composition is a complicated and deep subject that I'm just barely touching on here, and this section is by no means comprehensive. There are plenty of amazing resources out there that give a lot of specific guidance on composition generally, and my thoughts here merely provide some insight on how some specific aspects of fog as a subject of photography intersect with more general principles of composition.
Some technical stuff
I feel I should mention some specific gear that you may want to have in your bag as you set out on your own fog-seeking adventure. I won't mention the basic stuff, such as a camera, but I will start with the obvious. You will need a good sturdy tripod. I know many people mention this, but it can't be overstated. A good sturdy tripod and tripod head are critical if you want sharp photos. Fog flows can come with some pretty strong winds depending on how close you are to the fog, as there can be some pretty significant temperature gradients. You will need a sturdy tripod and tripod head to deal with those winds.
The other gear I would consider essential are filters. Control over the shutter speed that you are using in your exposure is essential to conveying and representing what aspects of the fog you are trying to capture. A good set of filters will give you the control you need. More specifically, neutral density filters, such as a 3 stop filter, a 6 stop filter, and a 10 stop filter, will give you the flexibility you need if you want to push the exposure towards those longer shutter speeds.
Another consideration may be a rain cover for your camera, or some other cover to protect it from water if you are not confident about the weather sealing on your camera. If you do find yourself in the fog, condensation can build up rapidly, and before you know it, everything can get quite wet. In such a situation, it is nice to have a little extra protection for your camera in the form of a rain cover.
Other than that, just bring some warm gear for yourself and be sure to layer! Temperatures can vary tremendously, and if you find yourself in the fog, it can get pretty cold and wet.
Anyways, I hope you found this information helpful when setting out on your next fog-filled adventure, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this post. If you did find this post helpful, I plan to provide even more sample photos, examples of compositions, in-camera techniques, post-processing techniques, and a detailed gear list in an upcoming ebook. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below, and I will do my best to answer it.