Photographing in Fog

Left Image: Pentax 67, 200mm f-4 lens, Fuji Velvia, Bogen tripod and ball head.
Incident and spot metering  (ground and sky) with Minolta Auto Meter IIIF, 1/30 sec and f-8.

Fog creates soft and sometimes mysterious images. Colors become muted, and light reduces depth. Images taken in fog give the viewer a sense of calmness. Your main problem will be exposure. Fog can easily fool meters by several stops resulting in underexposure. Meter a middle tone or a gray card for proper exposure. Incident hand meters or the palm of your hand can also be used for taking a reading. Incident meters can't be fooled by the brightness and give more accurate exposures. You can meter the palm of your hand and open up one stop for taking a reading. Early mornings are the best times for photographing. Look for unusual shapes as your main point. I prefer to shoot from a distance. This way my subject doesn't standout and is not separated from the rest of the scene. You'll be shooting longer exposures in fog which requires a tripod and cable release. When shooting in fog, also look for close-ups. Many insects are covered with dew which can make great images. Insects are less active in the cold making them easier to photograph. Carry a macro lens or a set of extension tubes for taking close-up pictures. Many people wake up early to catch a nice sunrise, but become disappointed to see fog or clouds. If you get out there with your camera, you can take many great images. Even subjects you have seen many times and ignored, stand out and can make beautiful pictures.

Cokin Creative Filter A151 Fog 2 Features: Fog or mist effect is more pronounced with more distant objects Foreground remains sharp and clear Part of the Cokin P-series square filter system Allows image enhancement without changing the subject Cokin's Fog 1 (A150) & Fog 2 (A151) filters add a touch of dream and mystery to your photos. Fog 1 (A150) is a mild effect. Fog 2 (A151) is a stronger fog effect

Cokin Graduated Fog Filter 1 Series A Cokin's Fog 1 (A150) & Fog 2 (A151) filters add a touch of dream and mystery to your photos. Fog 1 (A150) is a mild effect. Fog 2 (A151) is a strong effect.