Photographing Stunning Louisiana Landscapes in the Fog
Southern Louisiana is blessed with many foggy mornings, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that is perfect for photography. I particularly love capturing foggy cypress scenes over the water, where the mist isolates the trees against a stark white backdrop. Even more dramatic are mornings when low-lying fog catches the light, making it appear as though the mist is on fire.
Louisiana and Fog
Due to the humid conditions, Fog is not unusual in Southern Louisiana. Fog forms when the air temperature falls below the dew point. Over the water, in the Atchafalaya Basin, it is not unusual to have very dense fog that covers all. Less frequently, the fog forms in a thin layer over the water. Both situations lend themselves to stunning photographs.
Key Characteristics of Fog Photography
When photographing foggy landscapes, you’ll notice a few distinct characteristics:
Soft, diffused light – Fog eliminates harsh shadows and softens the entire scene.
Low contrast – The mist mutes colors and details, creating a dreamy effect.
Atmospheric perspective – Objects become blurrier and less distinct with distance.
Glowing effect – Shooting into a light source, such as the rising sun, makes the fog appear luminous.
Brighter-than-expected exposures – Camera meters often underexpose foggy scenes, so manual adjustments may be needed.
Techniques
Choose your position in the scene prior to picking a focal length, judge the degree of blur desired, and then choose the lens focal length to create the composition.
Focus the lens on Close Objects rather than distant ones. The image appears sharper closest to the photographer, A sharp foreground with a blurred background will look natural.
Largely ignore the depth of field as distant objects will appear blurred in fog anyway. A moderate Telephoto Lens is often a good choice in dense fog even with its shallow depth of field.
Assume the scene is white, often requiring 2 stops of light beyond mid-tone. In an automated mode such as Aperture Priority, try 1.7 to 2.0 stops of positive compensation. Check your histogram after shooting and adjust to the conditions. I shoot in manual and watch the histogram to achieve the proper exposure.
With Low-lying fog, look for opportunities to shoot into the sun and achieve a fiery appearance.
