How to photograph in fog + 3 ideas to inspire you

You’ve got to seek out the fog, you can’t just wait for it to come to you. Planning is one of the biggest challenges and takes a great deal of perseverance. Don’t be put out if it takes longer to find the mist than you’d like – after all, you can’t do anything about the weather.

Make sure to check weather forecasts regularly: especially for early mornings and night fog photography. Fog forms when cold air passes over warmer water or moist land and is most likely to be found around sunrise or sunset. Just be prepared to set early morning alarms to make the most of it!

Once you’ve found the perfect foggy spot, make sure your camera is set up properly for the types of photos you want to take.

Getting the right exposure levels is one of the most difficult aspects of fog photography. If you’ve taken photos of sandy beaches or snow, you’ll know just how tricky this can be to get right. If your exposure is too low, this can make the mist look too dark, causing the photograph to be too grey. So try overexposing the shot to help make the fog lighter. As the sun starts to rise, keep an eye on the exposure, and adjust it regularly to accommodate the increasing light.

If you want to capture the fog, it’s best to work with manual focus. Auto-focus works by detecting the differences in contrast, but there is little to no contrast in foggy conditions. Combining this with low light levels will make it even more difficult for your camera to focus on anything. Instead, choose your focal point and adjust your lens by hand.

For example, you could focus on a tree that’s surrounded by the fog, or perhaps Why not experiment with different levels of focus, and preserve all the differences in a premium CEWE PHOTOBOOK or a personalised photo calendar to display a new image on your wall every month?

It’s vital to keep your camera steady when you’re taking pictures in fog. It’s texture and dispersal can vary massively, which is a great opportunity to take photographs with a wide variety of effects and moods. The best way to capture these differences is with shutter speed.

• A quicker shutter speed prevents the texture from becoming too smooth, perfect for taking pictures when the haze is almost cloud like.
• Use a longer shutter speed if you want the haze to look like one long, thick continuous patch.

Lenses
Using a wide angled lens is one of the best ways to capture photos of the fog. Wide, misty landscapes look stunning, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to capture the start and end of a hazy patch.

Top tip: Out and about in the fog? You’ll find much higher levels of condensation. Watch out for small droplets of water getting into your lens. Make sure to bring a lens cloth with you, so the droplets don’t end up ruining your photos.

• Try longer exposure times, this ensures soft fog.
• If possible, also include sharply depicted objects in the image composition, as contrasts and contours quickly disappear completely in the fog.
• Go to the plane of the fog for the photo or take pictures from above. The decision criteria here are the density of the fog and the position of the sun: If the fog is impenetrable and the sun shines up on it or is just rising, the view/photo from above is particularly exciting.

Looking to capture the perfect shot? Here’s some inspiration to turn your foggy landscape photography into something really special:

• Silhouettes: Fog does a great job of emphasising shapes in photos. Textures and contrasts are reduced, leaving your subject as a single dark colour.
• Black and white fog photography: We recommend shooting in colour, and turning the photos into black and white later. It’s a perfect way to add atmosphere.
• Light rays: If there’s a light source, fog can make it much more concentrated. Try taking photos of light rays through a group of trees.

Fantastically mystical? The fog gives the landscape a whole new face.
Camera settings: 50 mm, ISO 400, f/8, 1/15 s

Fog gives the landscape a mystical quality - which is perfect as a photo theme. In contrast to the other autumn photos, this one is not about bright colours.

On the contrary: the fog makes everything monochrome and creates a gentle mood. In this way, a rather inconspicuous section full of tree trunks becomes a piece of art. Such photos are particularly suitable as a large-format wall art. They pretty much fit into any interior and attract attention.

In summer, you have to get up really early for such photos – but it's worth it! When fine fog settles over meadows or forests and individual rays of sunlight break through, the moisture creates a special glow. If possible, shoot with a tripod and low ISO for fine colour gradations in the image.

The sunlight breaking through the trees and fog adds warm colours to this cool setting.
Camera settings: 28 mm, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/60 s

When wafts of mist drift over the fields, it is a wonderful opportunity to capture the mystical atmosphere. This is how you put the winter fog in the best possible light:

• The best photos are usually taken directly after sunrise.
• Add extra depth to the picture by blurring plants in the foreground.
• Don't be afraid of backlight, because the fog makes the sun's rays visible.
• You can later intensify the warm light of the rising sun with image editing: It is best to increase the saturation or dynamics specifically for the warm colours.

Clothing in a signal colour is always good in a photo if you really want to draw attention to it - it will create a nice contrast to the rest of the picture.
Camera settings: 35 mm, ISO 320, f/6.3, 1/30 s

The forest, even in the dreary mood on a foggy winter's day, is more photogenic than you think. A person strategically placed in the picture in a bright jacket (preferably yellow or red) makes up this photo here.

• Place the person or several people in the middle of the picture. This creates a clear focal point; the path leads the gaze there.
• Photograph as wide-angle as possible to capture a lot of the forest - and thus its special atmosphere.
• A rather dark foreground makes the shot even more mysterious. Here you can help with image editing, for example with a vignette.

For a lot of photographers, brushing up photos using editing software is par for the course. Maximising the contrast is common, but avoid it for photos of misty conditions! Adjusting the contrast means your photos will lose their soft lighting.

Getting the perfect shot takes a great deal of patience and practice. With the tips above, you’ll know how to photograph in fog like a pro.