Fog is an interesting weather element to photograph, and to photograph in. Photographs taken in the fog convey a certain sense of mystery. What’s beyond the fog?

The scenes you photograph blend into the fog. Details at the edge of visibility are soft and obscured.


Fog also reduces contrast, yet at the same time, the colors seem saturated. When you photograph in the fog, pay careful attention to your camera LCD monitor and your histogram. When you’re photographing a scene with lots of fog, the image may be underexposed. If so, increase exposure by 2/3 or 1 EV.

If you’ve got sun peeking through, you may end up with a blown-out highlight where the sun is. With this scenario, the best thing to do is to recompose the image so that the sun is hidden behind a tree or change your vantage point so the sun is no longer visible.

When the sun is just breaking through the clouds, you may end up with some blown-out highlights where the sun is shining on dew or moist leaves.

Misty mornings are also great times to shoot close-ups. Flowers will have pearls of water on them. Spider webs look very photogenic in the fog when photographed with a macro lens.


Fog is also a way to make a lake in the middle of a city look like it’s in the wilderness. When you have thick fog, the opposite shoreline of the lake and all the buildings are hidden. Next time you wake up and see fog outside your window, grab your camera, head for the nearest lake, and shoot up a storm.