Using Fog to Create Depth in Your Photos

 

 

 

 

       Waking up to a foggy morning is a wonderful way for a photographer to start the day. Nothing creates a "mood" quite like a misty fog  just after sunrise. It can be just the ticket for an otherwise boring photograph.

 

      Fog has a way of layering a photo. Depending upon the placement of subject elements within the photo, it's actually possible to achieve an almost 3D effect. In the case of the Sandhill Cranes above, the photo appears to have three very distinct layers. The background of trees sits deep into the fog, while the bird on the far right appears to sit in the middle of the fog. The two birds in the foreground, because of their sharp focus and lack of filtering from the fog, appear to lay on a plane that extends beyond the rest of the image. As you study the image, you need to assess just how important a role the fog has played in making this image work. Imagine the same image without the fog, and you have an image that might very well never see itself made into a print. The fog seems to battle for a place in this photo.........perhaps even the real focal point of the entire image.

 

      The next time you see fog in your area, I suggest you get out and experiment with what role it can play in your images. If you want to add some  depth to your landscapes, your flower photos, your macro images, or whatever else you like to shoot, then don't let the fog escape your lens. Good Luck.