h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Photography In Fog or Poor Visibility Hints and Tips - A87902049
Author: bobstafford - U3151547


There are times when the weather is not to kind and you have to deal with poor visibility, what do you do? Well as someone once said dont panic!

Hopefully this short entry will give you some ideas of how to cope with low cloud, mist, smoke or a foggy day. And it works regardless of camera type or experience level.

Fog can give you some interesting opportunities
There is no doubt that fog can a problem its translucent and masks fine detail giving photographs a cold feel, but there are some ways to get some creative and strangely beautiful photographic results.

The following are results taken on a recent foggy day in a hilltop town.


There Are Some Interesting Lighting Effects
The thing that fog will not do is improve is wide angle photography, but it can challenge your imagination.
There are also some advantages, one benefit is it provides an interesting filter for the sun. the first shot (image Fog 1a). This shows how the detail and texture of the back lit clouds and fog form of horizontal strata. The halo effect is also useful, in providing excellent soft back lighting in other shots as seen in (images 1 and 2).

Now Try Facing Away From The Sun
Dont concentrate on the sun, there are some other interesting lighting effects it try. If you get closer to your subjects and turn your back to the sun you will also get some surprising results.

In (images 3 and 4) the haze softens the background and enhances depth of field by gradually muting the colors as they recede into the background. This although very subtle gives a wonderful feeling of depth, and an ethereal look to background.

As you get closet(image 5) the depth effect is reduced but it will mute the colors as they recede into the background in (image 6) the effect is more apparent due to the railings and hedge in the foreground.


Experiment
The main thing to remember is that fog, mist or low cloud and even a dust storm can provide some excellent opportunities for creative photography. However in conditions of extreme wet, or if windblown dust is involved you are strongly advised to protect your camera. Even if you put your camera in a transparent plastic bag and gather it around the front of the lens and secure it with elastic bands. Then put an inexpensive clear filter on the lens that should give ample short term protection. NoteRemember put the bag on the camera at home in a warm room, and take it off immediately after the shoot! If you do not you run the risk of trapping moisture in the bag and cameras do not thrive in damp!

And the best part is that all this is available to you without any extra accessories such as expensive filtersIf you have filters and flash, defiantly use them, experiments are part of photography. flash, another new aspect to explore.

N:B

Photographs (7) sent to Post mail yesterday

NB

Photographs (7) sent to Post mail yesterday

Hi bob!

Excellent to see this in Peer Review It will look superb with the example photos in as well

Good point about protecting the camera in these situations - the Hints and Tips Entry A87878795 was very helpful to me over the holiday as I went into a humid greenhouse with my new bridge camera but I had wrapped the camera up with some silica gel beforehand so no harm was done

It could start a series

Very useful addition to your series so far, I'll add this to the navigation banner when it's recommended, picked and edited, Bob. Great work Bob

That was fast

Any problems with the photos?

The artists deal with the photos for edited entries, I just apply them to the recommended articles, so sorry Bob, I haven't seen them yet

Thanks for the editing

No problem Bob

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